MB Herald Digest | February 2023

Q: How do you speak well about marriage with your neighbours, knowing that marriage can be difficult?

A: Check out the Faith and Life online pamphlets about marriage and family. www.mennonitebrethren.ca/ nflt-resources

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.

Digest

FEBRUARY, 2023 | VOLUME 62, NO. 2

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The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

4 6

CCMBC MAKES CHANGES TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FORMAT

WOMEN IN MINISTRY: SANDI REUTLINGER MB Herald staff

SANDI REUTLINGER:

Pray for all of our churches that we would aspire to be the Church that Jesus is coming back for, glorious without spot or wrinkle, you know, wholly blameless, and that that’s how our churches would see us.

Read the MBH interview here.

8

HOLY SPIRIT—FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE!

Ken Esau

12

GIVING-UP, TAKING-UP, AND OPENING-UP Rev. Phil Gunther

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Sharing the life and story of Mennonite Brethren in Canada

CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES

CONFÉRENCE DES ÉGLISE DES FRÈRES MENNONITES

the editor

SO MUCH MORE

ebruary is the love month. On the fourteenth, sweethearts swap cards and candy, go out for dinner, or like me, fall asleep in front of the TV beside my wife, content, knowing we are together and blessed by that fortune. February 22, 2023, is Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent. Ash Wednesday is a reminder of our mortality. God raised humanity out of the earth and to dust, we all return (Genesis 3:19).

During Lent, we anticipate Christ’s crucifixion, a perfect being put to death (albeit temporarily), so that we may receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life. How wonderful a promise that we sinful beings could find rescue from ourselves in Calvary’s cross. That’s a love I cannot fathom, a love I find beyond me even in my most sacrificial moment.

In our cover story, “Giving-up, taking-up, and opening-up,” Phil Gunther implores us to make our devotion to Christ an “everyday thing.” That may sound like something we think we’re already doing, but are we? What would it look like if we made every effort to make the 40-day disciplines of Lent a 365-day lifestyle? How could this practice make us more like Christ?

It was a pleasure getting to know Sandi Reutlinger of River of Life Community Church in Blind Bay, BC. She recounts her ministry journey in our MBHD interview on page six

In this month’s “Moment in prayer,” Ken Esau writes: “Jesus is God’s great agape love embodied— forgiving sin; conquering the powers of sin, Satan, and death; and revealing what true life for humans looks like.” We ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with this agape love; we seek to be like Jesus. I encourage you as an MB community to join in prayer, following the prompts in this month’s prayer guide as we enter this Lenten season.

BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL GLORIFY YOU. I WILL PRAISE YOU AS LONG AS I LIVE, AND IN YOUR NAME I WILL LIFT UP MY HANDS. PSALM 63: 3-4

If I may offer one suggestion, as we pray together: remember the words of Psalm 63, and see how David describes the love of God as being better than life itself. Can you imagine such love? My wife rouses me from my slumber on the couch, and my waking eyes fall on hers, and I get an inkling of how that love might feel. But it’s that to the millionth degree. God’s love is so much more. Holy Spirit, fill us with your love. Today and every day.

CARSON SAMSON Communications director

Carson

Psalm 63 (Better Than Life) by the CCMBC worship band.

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AGM

June 8, 2023 | Virtual Meeting

CCMBC MAKES CHANGES TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FORMAT

The annual CCMBC National Assembly event will look different in 2023. Recently offered as a Thursday and Friday evening online workshop and worship gathering followed by a Saturday of online reporting and voting, it will now be broken into two events. The first will be a Zoom Annual General Meeting in the late Spring and the second will be a hybrid National Assembly in the Fall.

As a registered Canadian charity, CCMBC must hold an AGM and approve its financial statements within six months of its fiscal year-end (December 31). To ensure alignment with this requirement, CCMBC will invite delegates to an online AGM on Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 4-6 pm Pacific Daylight Time. This will involve the important work of reporting on the year, as well as approving financial statements and Board members.

Feedback gathered from our recent format of multi-day online National Assemblies showed a strong desire to return to some form of in-person meeting. As a result, CCMBC will host an in-person National Assembly on October 28, 2023 (8:30 am-Noon PDT) at Northview Community Church in Abbotsford, BC. (While in-person participation is preferred, delegates from across Canada unable to attend in-person will be able to participate online.)

The National Assembly will take place on the last day of the 2023 EQUIP Study Conference on the theme “Fire & Ashes: Why Church? Why MB?” The National Assembly will focus on larger themes related to the future direction of CCMBC especially in the four priority areas–spiritual health and theology, leadership development, mission, and organizational health.

“We encourage people to join us for both parts,” says national director Elton DaSilva. “It’s crucial that churches send delegates to speak on their behalf and shape the future of the MB Church in Canada. After all this time, being together as a family should motivate delegates to engage on a deeper level, to rekindle friendships and to strengthen relationships between churches from all over the country.”

PART ONE: CCMBC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

When: Thursday, June 8, 2023, 4-6 pm PDT

Where: Zoom meeting. A link will be provided upon registering.

What’s on the agenda?

Approval of audited financial statements, election of Board members, Conference and partner updates

Registration for June 8, 2023, AGM is now open.

Delegates can register here

National Council delegates can register here

Guests can register here

PART TWO:

CCMBC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

When: Saturday, October 28, 2023, 8:30 am-12 pm PDT

Where: Northview Community Church, Abbotsford, BC (For those not able to be present in person, a Zoom link will be provided upon registering.)

What’s on the agenda? Updates and conversations about CCMBC’s initiatives toward the four priority areas, as well as approval of the 2024 budget and any new policies (if necessary).

More information will be available on the National Assembly website, MB Herald social media, and email newsletter.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

What is a delegate?

CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES CONFÉRENCE DES ÉGLISE DES FRÈRES MENNONITES

Children play at one of the events that Fire of Prometey hosts for children in a village near Uzhhorod, Ukraine

Through the conflict, life carries on in Ukraine

STORY AND PHOTO BY EMILY LOEWEN

The darkness fell in an instant. One minute, a music video was projected on the wall of the small church, and kids were singing along. The next moment the power was off. The room plunged into darkness.

It was only a few seconds before the kids pulled out cellphones and flashlights. One older child quickly connected a string of Christmas lights to a battery. The music kept playing on a battery-operated speaker, and the singing resumed. The group, participants in a children’s program in Ukraine run by MCC partner Fire of Prometey, continued to sing in the semi-darkness, until one of the organizers got the generator running a few minutes later.

Life is disrupted. But life carries on.

In December, I had the honour of visiting some of MCC’s local partners in western Ukraine to see first-hand the work they’re doing. What struck me over and over again was how people’s lives have been upended in so many ways, big and small. But people found ways to adapt to the difficult situation and to carry on.

Damaged infrastructure around the country leaves people without power for hours every day. School programs for kids were put on hold for months, their classrooms turned into shelters. Families were forced to pick up their lives in an instant, leaving everything behind. And despite it all, life carries on.

>> Read the full story here.

JUNE 6-8, 2023

PASTORS CREDENTIALING ORIENTATION pco.mennonitebrethren.ca

ONMB Convention

February 24-25

AEFMQ Convention

March 21 & 25

ABMB Convention

April 14-15

CLASSIFIEDS

South Abbotsford Church in Abbotsford British Columbia, is a vibrant multi-generational, kingdom-focused community seeking a new Lead Pastor. The primary role is to shepherd the church from a Biblical standpoint, provide strategic and spiritual leadership and maintain operational oversight. South Abbotsford Church has a desire for a transformational leader with a servant's heart, to be both creative and structured in inspiring people towards a culture of discipleship and a deeper surrender to Jesus Christ.

The Lead Pastor will serve as the spiritual/theological leader of a growing church of over 600 people; provide strategic and operational direction; Lead and develop people, while providing leadership and direction over the ministries and services of South Abbotsford Church.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Want to place a classified ad in MB Herald Digest? Contact us at mbherald@mbchurches.ca

MBCM Assembly

March 3-4

SKMB Assembly

March 24-25

BCMB Convention

April 28-29

MCC PHOTO/ EMILY LOEWEN

Women in ministry

SANDI REUTLINGER AN MB HERALD DIGEST INTERVIEW

twenty years ago. My husband is a cabinet maker, and we have four kids and four grandkids.

WHAT LED YOU TO SERVE IN THE MB CHURCH?

I grew up in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) denomination. When we first moved to Blind Bay—a half-hour drive to the nearest PAOC church—we felt called to plant ourselves in our new community and to minister and work here. Blind Bay had a Catholic Church and River of Life MB Church. Leaving our PAOC church family was hard, but we were really drawn to River of Life. I remember flipping over the bulletin, probably on our first Sunday there, and thinking, “So, Mennonite Brethren, What does that even mean?.” And so we went online, looked at the MB Confession of Faith and began to learn more about our new church family.

Sandi Reutlinger is the senior pastor at River of Life Community Church in Blind Bay, BC. She has served in ministry there for over 16 years. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I was raised in an adopted family of beautiful Christians. Mom’s dad was a pastor, and my dad’s family were church planters, so I grew up in the faith and had amazing stories of how God moves and works, specifically in Western Canada. I was a typical teenager who walked away and had my rebellious years, and then I had my come to Jesus moment of, “choose you this day… choose life or choose death” (Josh 24:15, Deut. 30:19, paraphrase, combined).

I attended Bible school at what is now called Summit Pacific College just outside of Abbotsford (then it was called Western Pentecostal Bible College), where I studied Christian education. That’s where I met my husband, who was working on his bachelor’s in religious education. I was involved in lay ministry and worked in pharmacy for about twenty years before entering vocational ministry, and we moved out to Blind Bay just over

Through the assistance of the BCMB apprenticeship program, I started on River of Life staff working with children, youth, and families, later moving into the associate pastor role. The transition to senior pastor seemed organic and natural: Reuben Pauls (senior pastor at the time) and I had been working together for so many years that it felt like a partnership. As Reuben got closer to retirement, he suggested we work on a leadership transition. Reuben’s health took a downturn, so I began moving more into that senior pastor role to fill in. I had been at River of life for close to 16 years, so most members already had high trust in me as a leader. Nor was it a significant shift in thinking for them to have a female lead pastor. Reuben has been supportive; he still lives here, goes to our church, and leads Bible study, and it’s just beautiful how things have worked out.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF YOUR MINISTRY LIFE?

The highs I expected I’d remember the most, like ordination, weren't natural highs at all. Seeing the light go on in a person’s eyes when they experience

Jesus, being able to sit with people in sacred spaces, in their grief, being invited to journey with and help them, that’s just precious. These personal moments are the real highs of ministry.

The most extraordinary low is seeing young people growing up in the church establish themselves as adults and start families but not following Jesus; they have tasted and seen that God is good, but still, they walk away from the faith. I can’t feel personally responsible for bringing them back— you can’t make someone accept Christ—I have to leave their salvation and journey up to the Holy Spirit.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF VARYING MB PERSPECTIVES ON WOMEN IN MINISTRY LEADERSHIP?

Growing up in the PAOC, female leadership was never an issue. But when I hired someone through a summer grant program a few years back who couldn’t find a place elsewhere because she was a woman, I thought, “Wait, what?”

In terms of the MB family, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. I’ve had people turn their back and refuse to engage in conversation, and then I’ve had others treat me like an equal. I’m okay if somebody has a complementary view. You can live out your convictions, but please treat people with respect. It makes me sad when somebody won’t come and sit and have lunch with me or will stand in the hallway and have a conversation, avoiding me.

On the other hand, some people have been fantastic: you’ll be in a room or a meeting together and wouldn’t think about what sex somebody is because we are all there for the same reasons.

WHAT PRIORITIES SHOULD THE CANADIAN MB FAMILY HAVE MOVING FORWARD REGARDING WOMEN IN MINISTRY? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT WOMEN IN MINISTRY LEADERSHIP?

Start by treating women leaders with respect. I challenge the idea that women leaders are unfaithful to the scriptures and destructive to the Church, our family, and society. I’m not saying that everyone has to think the same way. Still, I’m encouraging us to acknowledge that this is a lesser issue and focus on function as a healthy family does.

We don't all think the same when we get together, especially as an extended family. We don’t all agree on the same things; maybe we didn’t all vote the same way. But when we get together as a family, we just want to eat good food, tell stories, and encourage one another. The MB Church has a vibrant and robust family ethos that I don’t see in other denominations. I want female leaders to be welcomed into this family—without pretenses—because we want to love and serve Jesus wholeheartedly.

HOW DO YOU EXPERIENCE RENEWAL AND RESTORATION AMID MINISTRY?

I’m an introvert/extrovert extrovert/ introvert, and sometimes I need to be with people to recharge. And sometimes, I just got to go out into the forest alone. I put on hiking shoes or bare feet, hike in the mountain beside our home, and it’s just God and me. Also, I’ve got four grandkids. Hanging out with all my kids and playing makes for the best day ever. I’ll also purposefully go to youth on a Friday night because we’ll have fun, and Jesus is there, and those kids are amazing, and they’ll say something about their faith, and I’ll think, “Life is good again.” Jesus is in all of those ordinary spaces.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT RIVER OF LIFE THAT YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT?

In the summertime we're touristy, we have lots of visitors. But ever since we could go back to meeting in person again, we have had new people every Sunday. We've got people that moved here sometime during COVID, and they're just now coming out into reallife, in-person services.

HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR MINISTRY?

Pray that River of Life will continue to have a strong and trusted presence in our greater community and that we can have an effective ministry. Pray also for all of our churches that we would aspire to be the Church that Jesus is coming back for, glorious without spot or wrinkle, you know, wholly blameless, and that that’s how our churches would see us.

“I want female leaders to be welcomed into this family—without pretenses— because we want to love and serve Jesus wholeheartedly.”

Moments in prayer

Holy Spirit—fill us with your love!

ur February prayer focus is on prayers for the Holy Spirit to fill us with Love (Agape). This is the first quality in the fruit of the Spirit list we find in Galatians 5. The biblical concept of love as expressed through the specific Greek word agape involves the sacrificial giving of oneself for the ultimate well-being of others. It is not primarily about emotional feelings for someone (although these are wonderful and can be celebrated). Biblical love is actively lived out and is focused on what is God’s best future for the other. Actions that are unconcerned with God’s best future for others are unworthy of the name agape.

We see this love exemplified by the Triune God’s work in history and centrally demonstrated through Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus is God’s great agape love embodied--forgiving sin; conquering the powers of sin, Satan, and death; and revealing what true life for humans looks like. When we pray “Holy Spirit—Fill us!” we are praying for God’s love to wash over us, to flood our inner life, and finally to stream through us so we can reflect that same sacrificial, active, and focused love today.

CONSIDER:

“THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE….” (GALATIANS 5:22A)

“FOR THE SPIRIT GOD GAVE US DOES NOT MAKE US TIMID, BUT GIVES US POWER, LOVE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE.” (2 TIMOTHY 1:7)

“IF I GIVE ALL I POSSESS TO THE POOR AND GIVE OVER MY BODY TO HARDSHIP THAT I MAY BOAST, BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I GAIN NOTHING.”

(1 CORINTHIANS 13:3)

When we pray for Holy Spirit filling that produces love in us, we are praying for an ever-increasing agape love for God (cf. Luke 10:27) that bursts forward into worship. We are also praying for an ever-increasing agape love for others that shows itself in action (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 John 4:7). We are praying for an ever-increasing agape love for God’s beautiful world (cf. John 3:16) that leads us to both enjoy and steward well this gift. And finally, we are even praying for an ever-increasing agape love for our own selves (cf. Luke 10:27) that leads us to honour and care for our bodies, hearts, and minds in the direction of the fullness of life Jesus promised (cf. John 10:10).

Praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us with the agape love of Jesus is a huge and comprehensive prayer that touches every area of our lives and through that prayer our families, our churches, our communities, and our world! May the Holy Spirit fill us with that love!

˚ What would it look like today to invite the Holy Spirit’s agape love to wash over you and to flood your inner life?

˚ Where do you need the Holy Spirit to stream out this agape love toward God? Others? Creation? And Self? (make a list for each area)

PRAY WORDS OF INVITATION AND WELCOME TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR YOUR OWN HEART:

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! Come and fill me today!

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! Wash over me and flood my life with the agape love of Jesus!

PRAY WORDS OF INVITATION AND WELCOME TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR YOUR CHURCH FAMILY:

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! May this agape love of Jesus overflow out of my heart into worship!

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! May this agape love of Jesus overflow out of my heart upon _________ today! (Repeat this with specific names of those in your sphere of influence. Be especially aware to include those you may find difficult to love today.)

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! May this agape love of Jesus overflow out of my heart toward God’s good world!

˚ Welcome Holy Spirit! Fill our church with passion for the purposes of Jesus!

KEN ESAU is the National Faith and Life Director for CCMBC. He and Karen attend The Life Centre in Abbotsford, BC.

BOOK REVIEW THE RUSSIAN DAUGHTER

BY SARAH KLASSEN 2022: CMU PRESS (260 PP.)

REVIEWED BY ELFRIEDA NEUFELD SCHROEDER

Sofia. Sofia is the adopted Russian daughter of an infertile Mennonite couple, who has kept her secret far too long:

Sofia stops, surprised. She has not spoken this much and with this much passion since leaving Stillenberg. Why is she suddenly overcome by a need to allow another human being a glimpse into her life? ... As often happens, one story prompts another: Sofia finds herself in the role of listener and Annegret gives her the untold portion of her story.

Grief plays a large role in this novel—the heartache of infertility, of not belonging, of not being understood, of losing a beloved child.

no questions asked; with the searching and questioning Boris who does not accept easy answers but “wonders where truth can be found — in Pastor Lange’s Bible? in his father’s words? in Fräulein Lange’s teaching? Can there be truth even in the impassioned words of uniformed officials who speak only Russian”?

The novel ends mysteriously, leaving the reader with a question about Sofia, who, as is her pattern throughout the novel, does not fall in line with the family who adopted her but must do things her own way.

Two retired teachers sit in front of their audience at McNally Robinson Booksellers: Sarah Klassen about to read from her most recent novel, The Russian Daughter, and her former fellow teacher, Faith Johnson, interviewing her. Klassen is ninety years old and Johnson looks to be about the same age.

I wonder what has kept them so alert, active and healthy as they discuss Klassen’s book and field questions from the audience. Perhaps the power of “story” is a factor?

Klassen shares with her audience that the novel she wrote was inspired by the stories her mother, who grew up in Ukraine, told her when she was a teenager. At the time she was not particularly interested in what her mother shared but it stayed with her.

Storytelling, but also listening to the story, becomes cathartic for the protagonist of the novel,

Relationships is another strong theme: How do we treat “the other” among us? In Klassen’s book “the others” are the infertile, the handicapped, the servants, the people of different origins.

Although the novel takes place in Czarist Russia over one hundred years ago, Klassen assures her readers that human nature has not changed.

They will identify with the grief of the infertile couple, Isaak and Amalia; with the defiance of the difficult-to-love, adopted Russian girl, Sofia, and that of her classmate, Petya; with the frustration of Amalia’s sister who has too many children; with the enthusiasm and vibrancy of the twins (Boris and Hannah) taken into Amalia’s and Isaak’s family to relieve a sister with too many children; with the kindness of Pastor Lange who is never too busy to lend a listening ear; with the altruism of the Kleins, a couple who is willing to share their home,

Klassen’s novel not only provides the readers with a glimpse into Mennonite village life in Ukraine one hundred years ago but touches gently and with great empathy on themes of family life and society as relevant now as then.

ELFRIEDA NEUFELD SCHROEDER was born in Chortitza, Ukraine just before the German invasion of Russia and the consequent flight of her family to Poland and Germany. Her family spent five years in the Paraguayan Chaco before immigrating to Canada in 1952. She and her husband lived many years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre, ex-Belgian Congo), returning to Canada in 1984. They moved from Ontario to Manitoba in 2008. Elfrieda received her PhD in German Language and Literature in 2001. She is a translator, freelance writer, and grandmother of eight. You can read more of her writing in her blog

Giving-up, taking-up, and opening-up

From forty days to everyday

BY PHILIP A. GUNTHER

ent is a forty-day season of reflection and preparation in advance of Good Friday and Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Some historians have dated its origins back to A.D. 330. It was a period of intense discipleship training for catechumens (those seeking church membership) in advance of their baptism on Easter morning. Today Lent is a Christian tradition, anchored within the liturgical calendar, based upon Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness in preparation for his earthly ministry. In 2023, Lent begins on February 22nd and ends on April 6th. All across the Christian community Lent is celebrated in various forms with a wide breadth of practices. These practices are designed to focus a disciple’s attention away from the distractions of their environment onto the person of Jesus and his salvific work. Fasting, repentance, self-denial, giving, and works of service are common practices during the Lenten season. Although Lent is not spoken of in Scripture, nor historically a practice of Anabaptist churches, a growing number of

Mennonite Brethren have found participation in the tradition to be a welcome exercise of preparing one’s heart and mind for the passion week, myself included.

In several ways Lent is like Advent, both are seasons of waiting and preparation. Both are spaces of expectation for the redemptive revelation of God and his kingdom. Both are gospel moments – supernatural moments – where disciples can become greater participants in the unfolding of the story of God’s grace and love.

Giving-up something is a central tangible element of Lent. Lent is a form of spiritual ‘spring-cleaning’ where a disciple can set aside or discard things from their life that are hindering or distracting them from their walk with Jesus. At the same time, such giving-up creates a void. The wise disciple then needs to take-up something to fill the space. This something can include things like prayer, service or the giving of resources for kingdom ventures. My purpose here is to explore the opportunity of Lent to be more than what we

“SO, MY DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, COMPANIONS IN FOLLOWING THIS CALL TO THE HEIGHTS, TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT JESUS. HE’S THE CENTERPIECE OF EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE.” HEBREWS 3:1 MSG

“I’VE COME TO APPRECIATE LENT’S INVITATION TO REFLECTION, TO DEEP CONSIDERATION OF CHRIST AND THE CROSS, TO GIVE UP OR TO TAKE ON.”

DORA DUECK

LENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SPIRITUALLY IMPASSIONED AND EMPOWERED BY JESUS FOR A LIFETIME OF DISCIPLESHIP.

have traditionally known it to be. The following are some reflections I’d like to have you ponder. If you resonate with these contemplations, discern how you can best apply them practically in your sitz-im-leben.

From temporary to everyday. Lent is forty days in the calendar year. Discipleship is every day of our lives. I believe that the traditional forty days of Lent can become a pattern or inspirational catalyst for everyday discipleship. Can we harness the reinvigorating practice of Lent to fuel a lifetime of discipleship?

From something to everything. Something is temporarily given-up at Lent as a means to foster spiritual formation into Christlikeness. Discipleship envisions us surrendering ourselves for the sake of Christ for a lifetime (Matthew 10:39). Can we harness the posture of ‘giving-up’ at Lent to fuel on-going acts of self-emptying for the sake of Christ?

From preparation to participation Lent is a means of preparing our hearts to appreciate and respond to Christ’s sacrifice upon a Roman cross, an act birthed out of a love for us. Discipleship involves daily participation in the suffering of Christ to not only identify with him, but to deepen our relationship with him (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 4:10; 1 Peter 4:13). Can we harness the sacrificial transforming attitude of Jesus (which we ponder at Lent) to fuel our own attitude of sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom?

From limited service to servanthood

The counsel of Hebrews, “Fix your eyes on Jesus,” is a Lent-focusing text. Lent is a seasonal event that emphasizes reflection upon Jesus, he who came to serve others. Lent provides us a finite space to pour ourselves into others just as Jesus did. In contrast, discipleship is a lifelong movement from catering to self to Christlikeness. It is a spiritually transformative surrender of a particular self-centered posture to that of being a servant of Christ. It is a lifetime of identity and lordship transition – less of me and more of Jesus. Can we harness the focus on Jesus at Lent to fuel a lifelong posture of Christlike servanthood?

Let me finish this article by saying that Lent is a special time in the Christian calendar, as it is in my own spiritual formation. It is an opportunity. Here is the space made available to move us from grace practices that are Lent bound to ones that permeate our everyday discipleship. May the Holy Spirit give us fresh eyes this Lent, a new perspective on how it can become a spiritual catalyst for everyday discipleship.

For further reading: Lent: From Superficial to Supernatural

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

Finish lines

Marion June Goertzen

Marion grew up in Turtle Creek, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of John and Agnes Cook, a sister for John, William, and Dallas. Hers was a happy childhood, though her mother died when she was only 9. One memory stands out: 12-year-old Marion walking home from the Baptist church, feeling like she was walking on air, because she had given her life to the Lord. She went to New York to study at Practical Bible Training School. She also took a year of nurse’s training before applying with The Evangelical Alliance Mission for missionary service. She travelled to India in 1952 where she met, and later married, Henry. Marion’s first son was stillborn, but a year later she gave birth to Stanley. Her daughter Sandra was born 2 years later in the city of Jhansi. While in India, Marion and Henry started a Bible correspondence course ministry called Light of Life which sent Bible courses throughout all of India in various languages. Marion looked back with special fondness on this time with the feeling she had done what God had called her to do. In 1970 the couple returned to Abbotsford for a year of home assignment and to welcome their third child, Paul, into the family. When their visa to return to India was denied, the family moved to Trinidad in 1973, where they served 4 years, Marion as the mission bookkeeper. They returned to Abbotsford in 1977 and provided a stable home for their adolescent children. Marion worked at the Clearbrook Credit Union (now Envision Financial). She began at an entry level position, filing cheques, but ended up as executive secretary to the bank manager. The type of person who only knew friends, Marion was kind, hospitable, a good conversationalist, and an excellent cook known for her pie crusts and Indian cuisine. Marion enjoyed her more than 20 years at Menno Terrace West, Abbotsford. In her early years there, she organized activities and led Bible studies. She was thrilled when her best friend of 40 years, Lillian Johnstone, moved in across the hall. Marion’s gratefulness was especially evident in the trials at the end of life. She often said, “This is a good place to be; people are so nice to me,” even if it was the overflow area of the ER. Marion loved her family and her family loved her. Above all, she loved Jesus and looked forward to going home to heaven. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Birth: June 15, 1926

Birthplace: Turtle Creek, Penn.

Death: December 25, 2022

Parents: John & Agnes Cook

Married: Henry Goertzen, Feb. 14, 1957 [d. Dec. 24, 2001]

Family: children Stanley (Annamaria), Sandra (Harv), Paul (Miska); 6 grandchildren Mandy, Malcolm, Samuel, James, John, Milo

Church: Central Heights, Abbotsford, B.C.

Blondina Neufeld

Blondina was the third of 4 children. Her early years were during the Great Depression. She was impressed with the way her parents coped during those difficult years. After graduating from high school, Blondina taught in a public school for a year before enrolling in a 4-year training program at Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alta. This is where she sensed God leading her to become a missionary to northern India. She served there for 20 years with WEC International (Worldwide Evangelization for Christ). In her first years there, she and her coworkers served in a remote village where there were no roads. Travel was either by foot or ox cart. For health reasons, Blondina was transferred to Kishtiwar, Kasmir, where she assisted in a medical clinic. Blondina moved to Abbotsford, B.C., to be a caregiver to her parents. During that time, she worked as a receptionist in Dr. Fast’s dental office. She continued to have a passion for evangelism. At Clearbrook MB Church, she was involved in outreach, teaching English and Bible to newcomers from South Asia. She had a compassionate heart and assisted in a Sunday school class for disabled adults in the church. Her last years were in White Rock (B.C.) Senior Village. Staff often mentioned her exceptionally positive attitude and constant smile. Blondina’s sense of inner peace was deeply rooted in her faith. Even after poor health left her weak, she was always grateful for the co-laborers she had in church ministries, for friends, and for the staff who served her. She was especially grateful for the friendship and care given by her brother Clarence and his wife Joan. Joan was a real sister to her. She loved their family dearly. They visited her regularly even after Blondina lost her ability to express herself verbally. Blondina will be remembered for her selfless service and her burden to share her faith with others. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Birth: June 2, 1929

Birthplace: Main Centre, Sask.

Death: June 17, 2022

Family: brother Clarence (Joan) Church: Clearbrook, Abbotsford, B.C.

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Anne (Friesen) Matthies

Annie was born in 1927 in Kronsgart/ Plum Coulee, Man., to Johann B. and Anna Giesbrecht Wiebe Friesen, the youngest in the combined family of 8 children. They eventually made their way west and settled in Clearbrook in 1931– one of the first families to homestead on Upper Maclure. Anne attended school at Dunach and North Poplar, leaving in Grade 7 to help at home. This didn’t stop her education, however. She was always an avid reader and lifelong learner. Anne was musically gifted and learned to play organ and piano at an early age. At 15, she became the first pianist at Clearbrook MB Church when they got their first piano. Over the years, she accompanied dozens of groups and choirs, and it was while playing piano for chapel at MBBS (now Columbia Bible College) in Abbotsford in the late 1940s where she met her future husband, George Matthies. George and Anne were married in 1950 in Clearbrook, B.C., but lived in George’s home community of Black Creek, B.C., until 1955. Charlotte was born while they were in Black Creek, and after the family moved to Vancouver, two sons, James and Jonathan, were born. There were lots of moves over the years, including to Williams Lake and Quesnel. George and Anne were committed to serving the church, wherever they lived. They also love camping, table games, weekly coffee with cousins, Sunday lunches at ABC, and travelling to Alberta to visit their children and grandchildren. Anne’s first love was music, and she was always involved – whether as church pianist and organist, wedding musician, ladies’ and community choir director, or accompanist at the local senior facilities’ hymn sings, or playing at home for her own enjoyment. In the early 1980s, Anne pursued her passion for natural health, and after years of studying, receiving many certificates and diplomas, she began her consulting practice in Clearbrook. This brought many lovely people into Anne’s life – many of whom became her close forever friends. After George’s death in 2012, Anne remained independent for a few years, but when it became clear that she needed more assistance, she moved to Calgary to live with her son Jon for a year. In 2018, she moved to a facility in Ponoka to be close to Charlotte. After suffering strokes, she was moved into a nursing home, where she resided for 2 years until her passing. Her energy and sense of humour are greatly missed.

Birth: April 7, 1927

Birthplace: Kronsgart/Plum Coulee, Man.

Death: December 11, 2022

Parents: JJohann (John) B. Friesen & Anna Giesbrecht

Wiebe Friesen

Married: Gerhard (George) Matthies, May 5, 1950 [d. 2012]

Family: children Charlotte (John), James (Ellie), Jonathan; 4 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren

Church: Clearbrook, Abbotsford, B.C.

Sharon Jean Loewen

Sharon grew up with 4 younger siblings on a dairy farm in Matsqui Prairie, B.C. She attended Matsqui Elementary school and Abbotsford Junior and Senior. In Grades 11 and 12, she eagerly embraced the new option of a secretarial program, including typing, business machines, business communications, and bookkeeping. Sharon committed her life to the Lord as a teen, and in 1964, was baptized with a group of young people that included her future husband. After graduating in 1967, she married Ben Loewen at Matsqui MB Church. Ben bought 8.8 acres on Hallert Road in Matsqui and raised cattle. Over the next 5 years, she gave birth to their 4 children. Sharon’s secretarial training prepared her to set up Ben’s excavating business in 1968. She supplemented her training with Accounting I at Fraser Valley College in 1976. Wanting to teach their children responsibility through daily chores, Ben and Sharon bought a layer farm in Bradner in 1978. They relocated to Smith Avenue in 2015 and started a gravel pit business. Sharon continued to manage the farms and business right up to her passing. Ben and Sharon shared their passion of music through Valley Festival Singers and church choirs. Sharon enjoyed many friendships as part of the ladies singing group Wayfayers. Even during her last weeks, she would ask to be led to the piano and she would play worship songs. She joined Bible Study Fellowship in 1984 and dedicated herself to studying God’s Word, completing the 5-year course twice and leading for 4 years. Sharon felt called to be a light and extend God’s love by sharing the gospel and spending quality time nurturing relationships. Sharon and Ben attended Ross Road Church until 2017, when they were drawn to Clearbrook MB Church. They were excited to join the music ministry and make new friends. Sharon believed that death cannot separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38).

Birth: February 19, 1949

Birthplace: Abbotsford, B.C.

Death: June 27, 2022

Parents: Peter & Stella Reimer

Married: Ben Loewen, July 21, 1967 [d. Jan. 10, 2022]

Family: children Bernie, Rachelle (Karl) Dyck, Darren (Elissa), Trevor (Lisa); 13 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren

Church: Clearbrook, Abbotsford, B.C.

A moment in time

DAWSON CREEK, BC, 1989

Anna Baerg posing with her mother and sister Mariechen (and a dog) outside their house on Dec. 26, 1932.

Courtesy of the Mennonite Archival Information Database