MB Herald Digest | November 2022

More than sixty years of sharing the life & story of the Mennonite Brethren in Canada

Mennonite Brethren Herald Digest is digitally published monthly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values, and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole.

NOVEMBER 2022 | VOLUME 61, NO. 11

EDITORIAL OFFICE 1310 Taylor Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 3Z6 Phone: 204-669-6575 Toll-free in Canada: 888-669-6575 MBHERALD@MBCHURCHES.CA WWW.MBHERALD.COM

ISSN: 0025-9349

The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

From the editor

Asong has been stuck in my head for over a week now. A hymn I recall from my youth often sung at church and around the house.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, “Thus says the Lord!” (Text by Louisa M. R. Stead)

I’m used to having songs on the brain: TV ad jingles and popular songs on the radio or social media, but admittedly, hymns rarely linger in my consciousness. Somebody’s try ing to tell me something.

Some readers will remember me saying how influential my meek but mighty grand mother was to me. Her nightly hymn-sing was and continues to be the elixir to my trou bled mind. There’s a nostalgic connection, but there’s more to it than treasured memories.

In “How sweet the sound,” Phil Gunther explores the undeniable impact hymns have on our discipleship journey. A timeless, oft-ig nored, or overlooked medium, hymns speak to the heart in ways other media cannot. Why is that? “I am convinced that the intertwining of music and convictions of faith latent in

hymns communicate a supernatural ‘message’ where words alone fall short,” says Gunther. “Their very constitution is a powerful medium for revealing the deeper things of the human heart and the mysterious divine things of God.”

In part two of “In the patience of love’s delay,” Dr. Paul Doerksen challenges us to think beyond our human perception of patience. Says Doerksen: “God’s patience is not some isolated ‘characteristic’ among other ‘characteristics’ of God – it is a dimension of what God is.”

God’s patience, modelled in the revelation of Jesus Christ, is our promise of salvation. God’s divine patience will ultimately see his Church ushered into his kingdom, according to his will. God’s patience abides so the lost may seek, find and worship him.

I sense the Lord is telling me to trust in Jesus. Regardless of my current circumstance, I am to be faithful because the God of patience is with me. What song plays in your heart? What does the Lord have to say to you today?

With respect,

CarsonCARSON SAMSON Communications director

‘TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS, JUST TO TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD; JUST TO REST UPON HIS PROMISE, JUST TO KNOW, “THUS SAYS THE LORD!”

–LOUISA M. R. STEAD

Thank you for shopping local

You could invest with any number of financial institutions, but by choosing CCMBC Investments, you also invest in the local MB Church.

Planning and saving for the future is essential. With a CCMBC Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), you can start saving for your retirement while deferring income tax and investing in the growth of God’s Kingdom.

Earn a return while investing in ministry, tax free. A Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a registered plan that allows your investment to grow tax free throughout your lifetime.

CCMBC Investments is accepting new funds from existing or new investors. Contact Capstone Asset Management (1-855-437-7103) to get started.

ccmbclegacyfund.com

legacy@mbchurches.ca

capstoneassets.ca

ccmbc@capstoneassets.ca

EUROPEAN MENNONITE LEADERS MEET IN GERMANY

The European Mennonite Leadership Conference took place October 27-31, 2022, in Thomashof/Karlsruhe, Germany. Representatives from Portugal, France, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany with AMG, AMBD, Bavaria, Lithuania, Netherlands, and United Kingdom participated. Albania attended for the first time. MCC Europe and MWC also participated.

Conference reports emphasized support for people and churches during the RussianUkraine conflict. Reports of note included Lithuania, Ukraine and Dnipro Hope Mission (UK).

Celebration 2025 (marking 500 years of Anabaptism), in May 2025/Zurich, and the European Youth Gathering, MERK, planned for the Netherlands in May 2026, was also on the agenda.

JOSÉ ARRAIS European Coordinator of Mennonite Conferences

2023 Spirit of MDS Fund accepting grant applications

$200,000 available from MDS Canada to help Canadian churches serve their communities

For the Baccalieu Trail Community Church in Bay Roberts, Newfound land, support from the Spirit of Mennonite Disaster Service Canada (MDS) Fund means they can now serve seniors and low-income people in the community.

“We have had a vision for some time now to start a kitchen at our church,” said Pastor Gerald Walsh.

The purpose was to assist seniors, single-parents and low-income peo ple who need a place to go to get a hot meal and stay warm, he said.

Before getting the support to cre ate the kitchen, “there wasn’t anywhere in our area that had this type of facility,” says Walsh.

Most of the seniors would go to local fast-food restaurants, which was a hardship for many on fixed incomes.

“In some cases, seniors and oth ers had to make a decision on eating or heating their homes or apart ments,” he said.

The Baccalieu Trail Community

Church is just one of many congrega tions that received money from the Spirit of MDS Fund, established by MDS Canada during the pandemic to help Canadian churches respond to Covid-19 needs in their communities.

The success of the Fund caused the MDS Canada board to decide to make it permanent. A total of $200,000 CAD is available each year, with a limit of $5,000 CAD per applicant.

The grants can be used for food banks or other ministries assisting low-income people or seniors, and for construction or renovation proj ects to repair a home or make it more livable.

MDS Canada is also open to pro viding assistance in leadership or volunteers to churches that want to do repair or construction projects.

As in the past, funding will focus on Mennonite/Anabaptist churches and organizations, with funding available for other churches and church-related groups on a case-bycase basis.

Priority for funding will be given to applications where volunteers are mobilized to use the grants.

An application form for funding for the 2023 Spirit of MDS Fund can be found here.

–MDS COMMUNICATIONS

“My heart is so full. I want God to bless every single person who touched this house. We just love and appreciate everything that God has done. We love you all so much.”

— HERMAN SHIMPOCK

You can be the hands and feet of Jesus for disaster survivors by volunteering or donating to MDS! www.mds.org | 800-241-8111

Train

Goodbye, Bertha Dyck

Bertha and Gary Dyck pose with a drawing gifted to her by CCMBC and Legacy.

Staff met on October 15, 2022, to celebrate Bertha Dyck as she retires from active service with CCMBC Legacy. Bertha had a productive and impactful 32-year career in finance for CCMBC and Legacy, most recently as Chief Financial Officer. Bertha is the first female to hold that position.

Look for a feature article on Bertha’s story in an upcoming issue of MB Herald Digest

PHOTO BY: ANTHONY MARK SCHELLENBERG

Need help subscribing to the online digest? Email us at mbherald@ mbchurches.ca, or call 1-888-669-6575 and ask for Carson or Liam.

Arnold Community

Church hosts block party to thank community

On Saturday, September 10th, Arnold Community Church hosted a neighbourhood block party to thank those who supported local residents during the Novem ber 2021 flood through their time, resources and generosity.

This party comes ten months after flooding rav aged Sumas Prairie and the community of Arnold, causing significant damage to farmers’ businesses and homes. Arnold Community Church quickly jumped into action, turning their parking lot into a transfer station just days after the flooding began. This quick action was all thanks to the suggestion of local com munity members who saw a need for residents to dispose of damaged goods. Before they knew it, resi dents were dropping off thousands of pounds of damaged furniture, appliances, personal belongings, etc. An incredible 1.1 million pounds of waste was col lected at Arnold Community Church and taken to a commercial transfer station at no cost to residents.

Cam Stuart, the Lead Pastor of Arnold Commu nity Church, says this would not have been possible without the physical and financial support of the fol lowing businesses that stepped up when their community needed support: O’Brien Bros., Arctic Arrow Powerline Group, Bell Rock Construction, Ibex Con struction, GT Aggregate Commodities, Target Products and Tundra Developments.

In total, Cam estimates that the cost to run the

transfer station was anywhere from $100,000 to $125,000, with $70,000 of that making up the disposal costs alone.

Not only did Arnold Community Church serve as a transfer station, but it also acted as a place of relief, con nection, and hope during these difficult times. Residents would gather to grab food, chat, and provide support.

In the months following, Arnold Community Church also provided flood relief funds to impacted residents who experienced loss and damage to prop erty due to flooding. The Abbotsford Community Foundation, the University of the Fraser Valley, and the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce are happy to have provided an Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund grant to support this cause.

After reflecting on this incredible level of commu nity support, Arnold Community Church decided they wanted to thank their community. That’s why they hosted a community block party. The party included a short program by Cam to officially thank the commu nity, followed by a BBQ dinner. For entertainment, guests enjoyed games and live music from the local band, Memphis Train.  The community came together again but this time it was to celebrate their resilience and strength and the power of people supporting each other through difficult times.

Once again, the Abbotsford Community Founda tion, the University of the Fraser Valley, and the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce were happy to sup port this block party event with an Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund grant.

To learn more about the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund, click here

This story was written by and originally posted by the Abbotsford Community Foundation.

UPDATE FROM THE CCMBC EXECUTIVE BOARD

The CCMBC Executive Board met in-person for two days in BC in October 2022. There was great appreciation for the value in being able to work in-person. Our goal with this is to provide you highlights on our life and work as CCMBC.

The major decision was the appointment of a new National Faith and Life Director. Ken Esau, Columbia Bible College Bible professor, has been filling in the post for the past year on an interim basis and following a search process the Board was very pleased to call Ken to an ongoing appointment beginning November 1, 2022. Ken brings not only exceptional Biblical and theological knowledge, but also a winsome presence to teaching and leading. We love his strong collaborative leadership!

A second significant decision was made to reshape and reschedule our National Assembly. We failed to reach quorum at our June 2022 National Assembly. From the feedback and suggestions received, and our desire to make a move which will hopefully permit us to provide both in-person

opportunity and online access, the Board agreed to the following as an experiment for the next while: ˚ Hold a two-hour online AGM on June 8, 2023, to process the Audit and approve an Auditor, and appoint Directors. This meets our required obligations on the financial level. ˚ Host a hybrid (in-person and online) Equip Conference and National Assembly in Fall 2023. Our hope is that the value of providing both equipping and key national decision work will justify the costs of travel to such an event, and that its timing in Fall will avoid the very busy spring convention schedule.

Work continues for the following initiatives: ˚ Caring for our Pastoral leaders who are expressing significant fatigue emerging from COVID-19, ˚ Strengthening our Confessional consensus, ˚ Developing our CUSP (Collaborative Unified Strategic Plan), beginning with Leadership Development and Mission, ˚ Implementing Conferences’ recommendations re Multiply following the demerger,

Updating our MOU with the Historical Commission, presently a joint project of the USMB and CCMBC, ˚ Attending to Affirmation of women in ministry throughout CCMBC.

˚

Our new website is up and offers easier and updated information about us, our partners, events and resources. Please check it out here

One of the key elements in our Collaborative Model is the scheduling of National Townhalls throughout the year. These are an opportunity for anyone in our church family to join in, learn, and share their voice on key topics— the next one is scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2023. We’ll post more information as the date approaches.

We appreciate your prayers, thoughts, and suggestions. Please feel free to email Elton or Ron.

For the Executive Board,

Ron Penner, CCMBC Executive Board Moderator Ron.Penner@mbchurches.ca

Elton DaSilva, CCMBC National Director Elton.Dasilva@mbchurches.ca

In the pat I ence of love’s delay, part 2

THE PATIENCE OF GOD

BY DR. PAUL DOERKSEN

In the previous issue of the MB Herald, I claimed that because God’s Word is abroad, we stand in need of Christian patience. Here I will focus on the patience of God, not simply to get at human patience, but for its own sake. Patience has its source in God. As St. Cyprian asserted in the third cen tury, “From Him patience begins; from Him its glory and its dignity take their rise. The origin and greatness proceed from God as its author.”1 God’s patience man ifests itself in a myriad of instances narrated in the Scriptures, beginning with creation itself. According to Paul Dafydd Jones, the creation account of both non-human and human creatures in Genesis 1:1–2:4a “can be read in terms of an exercise of divine patience –an act of ‘letting be’ and ‘letting happen’ wherein God establishes, guides, waits on and endorses the free action of non‐human creatures.” 2

Cyprian claims that God’s patience toward us is pro foundly evident in the enduring of profane temples, images, and sacrilegious rites instituted by humans. 1 Peter 3:20 provides an example of this kind of dynamic wherein God is described as waiting patiently in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, when eight per sons were saved through water. The fact that God allows sinful activities to carry on can be understood as the lavishing of divine love on those who remain ignorant and unbelieving but may someday turn to the worship of God. St. Paul understands his own life as providing an example of God’s display of patience. “But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the fore most [sinner], Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life” (I Timothy 1:15,16).

It is important to notice that God’s patience does not consist in an empty waiting, a passive spectator ship of the unfolding of events. Instead, we observe, following Barth, that “patience exists where time and space are given within a definite intention, when free dom is allowed in expectation of a response…He makes this purposeful concession of space and time.” 3 Barth insists that any description of God must not make the mistake of speaking of ‘attributes’ that have an exis tence apart from or independent of God’s own being. That is, if one speaks of grace or mercy, it is important not to say that God has grace or mercy, but that God is grace, God is mercy. God’s patience is not some isolated ‘characteristic’ among other ‘characteristics’ of God – it is a dimension of what God is – or as Barth puts it, “the

1 Cyprian, On the Advantage of Patience, Treatise IX, 484.

2 Paul Dafydd Jones, “The Patience of God the Creator,” 361.

3 Barth, Church Dogmatics, Vol II:I, 408.

perfection of divine patience is a special perfection of love and therefore the being of God.”4

So we observe (gratefully) that God in total free dom allows humans space and time for the development of our own existence, thus “conceding to this existence a reality side by side with His own, and fulfilling His will towards this other in such a way that He does not spend and destroy it as this other but accompanies and sustains it and allows it to develop in freedom.”5 God is not thereby suspending the reality of the human experience, but rather “the fact that God has time for us is what characterizes His whole activity towards us as an exercise of patience.”6

The Patience of Jesus Christ God’s patience is most clearly manifested in Jesus Christ. It is in the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the attesta tion of Scripture that we can begin to speak of the necessary patience of God; Jesus is the person in whom the patience of God has been fully vindicated.7 There are several ways in which we can draw on Christolog ical doctrine as a source for Christian moral patience. First, the teachings of Jesus call the Christian disciple in various ways to express patience as a way of being in the world. However, what we learn about patience from Jesus is not restricted to his imperative declarations but can also be found in his life. Cyprian points out that Jesus also fulfilled patience in his deeds – the Incarna tion, the bringing of salvation, allowing himself to be

4 Barth, 407.

5 Barth, 409-410.

6 Barth, 417.

7 Barth, 409, 418.

If one speaks of grace or mercy, it is important not to say that God has grace or mercy, but that God is grace, God is mercy.

baptized by John, the temptation in the wilderness, the washing of the disciples’ feet, his bearing of the pres ence of the traitor Judas without pointing him out, accepting the treacherous kiss and of course the Pas sion itself – all of these and more are seen as evidence to frame the deeds of Jesus as the ultimate display of patience. “All things are borne preservingly and con stantly, in order that in Christ a full and perfect patience may be consummated.”8

Christopher Vogt, in his work on the ethics of dying and death, mines the Passion narratives and finds there a deep and rich model of patience that goes consider ably beyond the dimension of endurance. Vogt understands Jesus’s experience during the entire Pas sion as displaying four dimensions of patience. First, Jesus displays a reluctant endurance of suffering, which is to be avoided if possible but endured if necessary. Sec ond, the patience of Jesus depends on a profound sense of Providence and desire to be obedient to God, thus compelling him to wait for events to unfold so that God’s purpose may be made known. It is important at this point to also recognize that we are part of the unfold ing of history as participants, calling for discernment and endurance at the same time. Third, Vogt finds in the Passion a willingness to endure the difficulties entailed in sharing the task of controlling our destiny with others, most importantly with God. Vogt high lights the fourth dimension of Jesus’s patience as something that is practiced out of love for God, his friends and the world, bringing to view the fact that the practice of patience is fundamentally social in nature.9 Vogt’s work brings into sharp relief the fact that the patience of Jesus is not just one thing, that it is neither quiescent nor passive, but rather an active shaping of a response to the fact that Jesus is going about the will of God. And in so doing, Jesus is not left to his own devices, just as God’s patience with us is not indifferent with drawal that leaves us to our own devices. But it is in Jesus that the patience of God is fully vindicated.

Patience in the Power of the Spirit

Before Jesus went down to Jerusalem to be crucified, he promised his disciples that he would ask the Father for an Advocate who would be with them forever. This reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit as Advocate is central to John’s account of things, especially in chap ters 14-17 of his Gospel. Jesus tells his disciples that while he will leave their immediate presence, they will

8 Cyprian, On the Advantage of Patience, Treatise IX, Section VII.

9 Christopher Vogt, “Practicing Patience, Compassion, and Hope at the end of Life: Mining the Passion of Jesus in Luke for the Christian Model of Dying Well,” 138-143.

not be orphaned because the Spirit will come to abide with them, will teach them everything, and will remind them of all that Jesus has said to them. Further, the Spirit will testify on Jesus’s behalf; and the Spirit will guide them into all truth.

In a passage with an overtly eschatological dimen sion, Paul in Romans 8 shows his readers that life in the present circumstances ought to be shaped in part by an understanding of the glory that will be revealed. Such a posture is not some misguided notion that we know the future and how things might unfold, or that we can control the shape of that unfolding. Rather, the future remains open precisely because it is the arena of God’s activity, which Christians can understand to some degree – not in terms of apocalyptic timelines or calendars or some such speculative activity – but in terms of the shape that we have seen in Christ by the power of the Spirit. Thus we have a high calling indeed, “to offer to the world in the present a foretaste of the ultimate glory that God is bringing definitively in the future.”10

But a reminder to look to the future is not a call to ignore the present – rather, the present becomes an opportunity to be open to the work of the Spirit, who helps us in our weakness, who intercedes for us, who makes known the will of God, and so on (Romans 8:130). Put another way, it is the work of the Spirit that provides the power of the possibility of living the life of patience within the space and time provided by God’s patience revealed so clearly in Jesus Christ. God’s patience is expressed in Trinitarian form, and that mat ters because it is this God who is set before us in Scripture,11 and whom the church worships. And it is the calling of the church to be the patient body of Christ that we will turn our attention in the next article in this series.

10 Philip D. Kenneson, Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community, 125.

11 John Webster, Confronted by Grace, 95.

DR. PAUL DOERKSEN is Associate Professor of Theology and Anabaptist Studies at Canadian Mennonite University.

Resilient Leadership

GETTING THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL REST YOU NEED TO FLOURISH

Normally when we think of rest, we think of physical rest. Or we think of zoning out in front of Netflix with a yummy snack. But what if the rest we seek is not the rest we need? Finding appropriate rest will help you implement sustainable practices for greater resilience. Today we’ll explore two types of rest.

MENTAL REST

Do you ever find that after you’ve arrived home from a hard day’s work, perhaps having a meal, possibly con necting with your family or friends, your mind still thinks you’re at work? Your mind is racing, thinking of all the unfinished to-dos on your list or the conver sations you need to have tomorrow. You’ve tried to shut off mentally, but your brain can’t settle down. You need mental rest.

HOW TO ACCESS MENTAL REST

Pre-pandemic, we all had rituals. We’d go to a physical workplace, and work happened at work. At the end of the day, we’d shut off the computer, lock the door and drive home. Once we arrived, we’d change out of our work clothes and into our home clothes. We exercised, did yard work, made dinner, or helped our kids with homework.

Today’s work environment has changed, and whether you work in a church office, an onsite situation or work from home, creating an end-of-day routine can help you physically and mentally transition from work to home. The first thing to do is turn off notifications or

park your phone in a charger behind closed doors when ever possible.

If you find your brain continues returning to work, spend a few minutes in mindfulness practice. Find a quiet place, perhaps the chair where you have your morning devotionals or a tranquil outdoor space. Close your eyes and recite a favourite Scripture that reminds you of God’s provision. Repeat it softly several times, sinking deeply into it. Notice how you feel as you put your trust in God. Hold that feeling, sit with it and con sciously experience the newfound emotion. Then, as you return to the rest of your day, repeat the Scripture whenever you find your mind racing and remember that wonderful feeling of trust.

EMOTIONAL REST

The world has become increasingly emotionally com plex. Whether your leadership happens in a board room, a clinic, a classroom or a church, it is essential to care for your emotional landscape.

Have you ever left work and intentionally chose to physically rest by taking a nap, skipping your exercise routine, or taking a couple of hours to enjoy a book but

came away feeling drained? You may need emotional rest, and no amount of physical rest can fill your emo tional tank.

If you work an emotionally draining job in a help ing profession - therapy, healthcare, clergy - your emotional reserves become depleted regularly. You may think you’re fine until your child, friend or neighbour does one little thing, and it irritates you, you get angry, or you just want to cry. These are symptoms of emo tional depletion.

HOW TO ACCESS EMOTIONAL REST

The world is filled with emotionally-charged events. Music is meant to tug on your heartstrings, swallow you with sadness or push you to euphoria. Movies switch from scenes that make you laugh, cry and scream with fright, all within a short period of time. And the news, in whatever fashion you consume it, has become less

BONITA EBY

journalistic and more shocking. Unfortunately, these things tax your emotional reserves, leaving little energy for your most important relationships.

Intentionally choose uplifting music, inspiring movies, healthy books, and media sources that bring life. You only have so much emotional energy, and when you’re not giving it to your few most critical areas, your focus must be on refilling and reenergizing.

Philippians 4 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admi rable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” These are challenging times. Make sure to continually fill your emotional tank so that when you give, you give from abundance.

Wherever you find yourself today, give yourself the gift of rest. Doing so will help you not only survive but thrive.

attends and is a former pastor at WMB Church in Waterloo, Ontario. She is a burnout prevention strategist, executive coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc. Connect with Bonita at bonita@break-through.ca.

A HUNGER FOR CONVERSATION

CONFESSION OF FAITH STUDY EXPLORES DIVERSITY OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE MB COMMUNITY

Inthe words of Brad Sumner, there are three things that hold us together as Mennonite Brethren, ‘shared convic tions, shared relationships, and shared activities.’ Our shared relationships and activities come from a variety of places including events such as National Assembly, PCO, and EQUIP. Our shared convictions on the other hand, directly point to our MB Confession of Faith. Our shared confession expresses our shared identity, vision, and witness, with an assumed common understand ing and function within the church.

But with such a broad landscape of churches, pastors, and congregations across the country, is it safe to assume everyone understands and applies

the Confession in the same way? Sumner, along with other pastors, were asking this question and it led to a study that explores how Canadian MB congregations are currently using the MB Confession of Faith to shape and guide their theologi cal identity, biblical interpretation, and how they live out their Christian faith.

The study’s biggest outcome shows that there is in fact a wide-spread understanding and application of the confession. But knowing this wasn’t the sole purpose of the study. The purpose of community based research goes beyond answering the question.

Executive Director of the Centre for Community Based Research, Rich Janzen, was asked to assist in this research and shared what community based research means: “How do you answer these kinds of questions in a way that’s collaborative? In a way that brings people together,” Janzen explained. “You’re not only answering those questions, but you’re also trying to then move those answers into some sort of collective action. It’s community-driven, it’s participa tory, and it’s action-oriented.”

Sumner and Janzen brought together a research team and an advisory committee from across the country to help facil itate the study. These teams included MB pastors, educators, and national leaders.

Pastors and leaders from 17 Canadian MB churches took part in interviews. Pastors and churches were selected with the goal of having as much diversity as possible in categories such as geographic location, size of congregation, theological leanings, and gender and age of the pastor.

“I would say we were successful in getting a real sense of breadth across the country. What we were doing is essentially like drilling for water,” said Sumner. “You keep taking differ ent core samples until you hit water. When all the water starts to taste the same and look the same, where you hear the same themes running underneath you, then you know you’ve got a good sense of breadth within the study.”

Sumner and Janzen stress that the study is in no way a quantitative picture of the entirety of pastors and congre gations across the country. This study was an ‘exploratory qualitative study’.

“We’re not suggesting that this is comprehensive in its scope, but we did hear reoccurring themes again and again,” said Sumner.

The interview responses were consistently inconsistent.

“What we learned is that, for the most part, the average congregant is not very familiar with our Confession of Faith,” said Janzen. “It’s maybe not surprising, but worth seeing that even among pastors, there’s a range of some who really go deep and some who just put it in a drawer, and a bunch of stuff in between.”

Part of the study asked questions around how churches were using the confession. The responses varied greatly with some churches merely using it as a pamphlet during their membership classes, with no in-depth explanation of its importance. Sumner shared that although he was not

surprised by the diversity of how churches were using, or not using, the confession, he was surprised by which churches were responding with less-conventional use.

Sumner suggests that our identity over the years has relied less and less on relationships and shared activities, leav ing our shared beliefs to bear the weight.

“I think as the shared relationships have frayed, we’ve sort of switched the narrative a bit and asked the confession to do more of the heavy lifting,” said Sumner. “You start to ask, ‘Is this a doc ument that can hold the weight that is being asked of it with the identify ing space?’ And I don’t think that it can, because we’re not all actually using it in the same way.”

There is a document available through the conference called The Nature and Function of the Confession. This document walks through how the confession functions within the local church, but what is laid out here is not what Sumner and Janzen were hearing from pastors.

“Clearly either people are not read ing it or they’re not understanding it in the same way, because what our research has found out is that people

have very different understandings of the nature and the function of the Confession of Faith,” said Janzen. “There is work that needs to be done in communicating what the Confes sion of Faith is, and some consensus around how it is to be used.”

Not all the outcomes of the study were diverse, Janzen shares that pas tors are on the same page when it comes to community hermeneu tics, meaning how the church comes together around scripture to listen, discern, and interpret with the Spirit’s guidance.

“They know that when we get an interpretation it’s not because one or two people behind their desks told us how to think, but we do this by gathering and grappling together as a community to come up with our interpretation,” said Janzen. “So there was gen eral affirmation that the confession affirms that and that people were affirming that.”

All of the outcomes that came out of the study are less about answering questions and more about asking new questions. Why are we seeing these patterns? What does this mean for us? Where do we go from here?

“The hunger for conversation is really one of my big takeaways here, but our lack of structural mechanisms to have those in pro ductive ways seems to be a challenge in our current landscape right now,” said Sumner. “The diversity is not narrowing. It’s not shrink ing. It’s not going away. We need to figure out mechanisms for us to talk about how diverse we are and what the implications are of our increasing theological diversity in the Mennonite Brethren Church in Canada.”

“Hopefully this study is a spark,” shared Janzen. “This study is not the end of understanding the Confession of Faith. It’s helping to frame a conversation that’s much needed.”

A more in-depth look at this study and the findings that came from it will be released in an upcoming issue of Direction If you are interested in diving deeper into the study today, you can read the summary report here

HANNIGAN

“There is work that needs to be done in communicating what the Confession of Faith is, and some consensus around how it is to be used.”

HOLLY

is communications and content management coordinator for CCMBC and staff writer for MB Herald

How sweet the sound

The power and influence of hymns seem timeless

EPHESIANS 5:18B-20

My childhood home church in B.C.’s Fraser Valley held German and English services. We listened to sermons and sang hymns in both languages. There was also a tongue-in-cheek sentiment bandied about that although English was graciously accommodated for the sake of the ‘young’ people, German was unques tionably God’s favoured worship language. I must confess that I felt hymns sung in German had a richness about them that English couldn’t compare. As a young adult, I still recall my ‘English’ girlfriend (now spouse) struggling to sing German hymns under the watchful gaze of my protective omi. Over the decades since that time, I have come to deeply appreciate hymns, regardless of language, as a powerful and influen tial aspect of my discipleship.

Hymns have a set of intrinsic ‘spirit influencing’ rudiments that can be life-trans forming for the disciple of Jesus. These elements include: ˚

A God-centered perspective on all of life. ˚

A Jesus-centered approach to life. ˚

A Holy Spirit-centered empowerment for life. ˚

A Bible-centered foundation for life.

I am convinced that the intertwining of music and convictions of faith latent in hymns communicate a supernatural ‘message’ where words alone fall short. Their very constitution is a powerful medium for revealing the deeper things of the human heart and the mysterious divine things of God. Artistically, the late English poet John Bet jeman once said, “Hymns are the poetry of the people.” Like poetry, hymns reveal, teach, inspire, evoke, and humble; they shape, mould, and transform the person who genuinely engages them. Each hymn has a story from which it was birthed: a narra tive that speaks to the heart.

“...BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER WITH PSALMS, HYMNS, AND SONGS FROM THE SPIRIT. SING AND MAKE MUSIC FROM YOUR HEART TO THE LORD, ALWAYS GIVING THANKS TO GOD THE FATHER FOR EVERYTHING, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

“HYMNS ARE COMPANIONS FOR LIFE TRAVELLERS.” ANDY GRIFFITH

“PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD, LET THE EARTH HEAR HIS VOICE! PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD, LET THE PEOPLE REJOICE!” TO GOD BE THE GLORY, FANNY CROSBY AND WILLIAM H. DOANE

In my own spiritual pilgrimage, hymns have...

instilled hope in times of trial

inspired dreams in times of despair

brought peace in times of trouble

fostered faith in times of doubt

reminded me that all of life has a purpose

deepened my understanding of God

moved me to mission The intent of my writing on the precious nature of hymns is to share their impact on my discipleship and encourage you as disciples to consider supplementing your own devotional time with hymns. A part of my spiritual respite with the Father includes singing or reading a hymn. It is a discipline worthy of any follower of Jesus.

Consider, for example, what meditating on the dec laration of Edward Mote would do to your spirit as you begin your day: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name.”

The Solid Rock , 1834

Contemplate the celebration of hope that would well up in your soul as you read these words penned by Fanny J. Crosby just before you offer your morning prayer: “A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away; He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.”

He Hideth My Soul, 1890

What might happen as you meditate upon the wel coming character of the Heavenly Father in the lyrics written by Charlotte Elliot while studying texts like Romans 8:1?

“Just as I am without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou biddst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!”

Just As I Am, 1835

“WHEN CHRIST SHALL COME WITH SHOUT OF ACCLAMATION / AND TAKE ME HOME, WHAT JOY SHALL FILL MY HEART.”

HOW GREAT THOU ART , STUART K. HINE

Soak in the call to obedience and willing surren der of Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn as you journal your application of Luke 9:23. “Take my will and make it Thine –it shall be no-longer mine; take my heart – it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.”

Take My Life and Let it Be, 1874

Mark my words, friends, the inclusion of hymns in your quiet moments with God will indeed leave one inspired, encouraged and transformed.

I leave the last musical testimony to John Newton: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found was blind but now I see.”

Amazing Grace, 1772

“PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW. PRAISE HIM ABOVE THE HEAVENLY HOST. PRAISE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST. AMEN.”

DOXOLOGY , THOMAS KEN

REV. PHILIP A GUNTHER is director of ministry for the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches