MB Herald Digest | Feb/Mar 2024 by Mennonite Brethren Publications

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2024 MBHER ALD.COM

Digest

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

THE CHURCH AND AI: DEVELOPING A THEOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY

VOLUME 63, NO. 01

R I V E R E A S T C H U RC H TO B E R E M OV E D F RO M M E M B E R S H I P C O N T E N D I N G I N P R AY E R YO U R Y E A R O F E N C O U R A G E M E N T

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Mennonite Brethren Herald Digest is digitally published bimonthly 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 FEB/MAR 2024 | VOLUME 63, NO. 01 EDITORIAL OFFICE 1310 Taylor Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 3Z6 Phone: 204-669-6575 Toll-free in Canada: 888-669-6575 MBHERALD@MBCHURCHES.CA

Recipients display the MCC comforters they received when MCC partner Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine (AMBCU) distributed relief items to vulnerable people in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine in October 2023. Read the full story online.

W W W. M B H ER ALD.CO M

ISSN: 0025-9349 The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES

CONFÉRENCE CANADIENNE DES ÉGLISES DES FRÈRES MENNONITES

THE CHURCH AND AI Mike Engbers

COMPETITION AND CONFLICT Mark Wessner

CONTENDING IN PRAYER Ken Esau

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN BJARNASON Leanne Janzen YOUR YEAR OF ENCOURAGEMENT Philip A. Gunther

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Sharing the life and story of Mennonite Brethren in Canada

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2024

From the editor

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6 ESV

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1 NIV t’s Groundhog Day as I write this—a day when we look to the horizon for signs of Spring. In Manitoba, February 2 feels far too early to contemplate Spring. Still, the hope of warmer days can warm the heart a little. Whether our hearts are to meet an early spring or an extended winter, we look not to the horizon but to the Lord for wisdom. Then, the hard part is waiting and listening for his answer; the hardest part is trying to do what he calls us to do. For 2024, Ken Esau and the National Faith & Life Team are providing monthly prayer updates called “Contending in Prayer.” The goal is for all of us to be “praying diligently for God’s Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, for our churches to more faithfully embrace the character and mission of that Kingdom, and for us to become transformed in prayer into the image of Jesus.” With the first installment of the 2024 Digest falling in February, we have front-loaded this issue with three “Contending in Prayer” entries (gratitude prayer, adoration/praise prayer, grief prayer). In the future, we will present two entries at a time. To receive the monthly prayer guide via email at the beginning of the month, subscribe to our mailing list here. Mike Engbers’ three-part series on the Church and artificial intelligence couldn’t come at a better time. AI has infiltrated many aspects of daily life and work—I regularly rely on AI to smooth out rough edges in my writing, from emails to editorials. Part one, “Developing a theology of technology,” is on page 8. Part two will be online soon. We recently had the privilege of interviewing Mark Wessner of MB Seminary for an upcoming podcast episode. Mark has a wealth of knowledge and experience

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in leadership development and has graciously shared one of his recent articles with MB Herald. Read “Competition and Conflct” on page 14. Only a few days after our podcast recording, I participated in a workshop led by Mark, where he presented the four leadership voices—one of which was the voice of encouragement. Philip Gunther regularly embodies this voice in his contributions to the Herald. Philip Gunther shares his ideas on how to lead a life full of encouragement on page 30. Whether we are discussing the cultural current in which we find ourselves, (viz., technology/AI, the shift towards “internal authority,” new perspectives on sexuality/gender), healthy leadership, or faithful stewardship, it’s all about seeking God, listening closely for his voice, and following where he leads. I invite you to ponder each article and discern God’s voice in the writings. Are you being asked to respond? Are you being asked to act? Or are you being told to sit and wait in the ramparts? How will the Lord direct you in 2024? I pray you experience a renewed passion for serving and loving in Jesus’ name. I invite you to ponder each article and discern God’s voice in the writings. Are you being asked to respond? Are you being asked to act? Or are you being told to sit and wait in the ramparts? How will the Lord direct you in 2024? I pray you experience a renewed passion for serving and loving in Jesus’ name. With respect,

Carson

CARSON SAMSON

Communications director

RESPONSE

WH Y AREN ’ T C ANADIANS LIS TEN I N G TO CH RIS TIAN LE ADERS ? Friends, Thanks to those who sent in comments on my article “Why Aren’t Canadians listening to Christian leaders?” I appreciate your thoughtful responses and correctives. Overall, I tend to agree with many of the points made in the responses. In a few cases, there were some misunderstandings, probably because I was not clear enough. For a more thorough discussion, please see my book, Caught in the Current (McGillQueen’s University Press, 2023). A quick reminder for readers, my main point in the article was that one of the reasons that Canadians are not listening to their Christian leaders is because Western culture is pushing people toward an internal locus of authority, away from an external locus of authority. First, after re-reading the article, I realized that it read like I was singling out the youth in our churches as the sole carriers of internal authority. While it is true that the cultural drift away from deference to external authority (including deference to institutional leaders) to deference to internal authority (deference to one’s “heart” or intuition) is increasing with each generation, there is plenty of internal authority among boomers and those in the older generation, and in many ways the youth are simply building on what they inherited. So, this “inward turn” affects more than our youth. Indeed, this glacial shift toward internal authority crosscuts generations, social locations, and national boundaries. As one commenter noted, this same trend exists in the U.S. as well. Researchers have found growing internal authority across Western

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countries, and in many southern and eastern countries. Its roots can be traced back as far as the Enlightenment and Romanticism. It is massive. So, I did not intend to pick on the youth. To be clear, I spend much of my day with youth, and I find them delightful. Should we listen to them and hear their stories? Yes. Can we learn from them? Absolutely. Second, one commenter is quite right that external authorities often need to be critiqued, and that deference to external authority is not always good. Since fallen humans are involved in the formation and leadership of our institutions (families, schools, hospitals, businesses, entertainment industries, and yes, our churches), they can fail to measure up to shared expectations about character and integrity. However, if it is correct that we are moving toward internal authority, then a person’s tendency will be to make criticisms of external authorities not based on these shared expectations but rather on what they sense inside. There is considerable research that shows that people tend to make ethical decisions, for example, based on the dictates of their heart, and then seek post-hoc justifications for what they already feel is right (like appeals to reason or an external authority like science). Instead, our critiques of earthly external authorities, particularly for Christian leaders, should be made based on biblical standards (another external authority), corporately discerned. On the one hand, sociologists like me try to tell things as they are, not how they should be. I tend to be more descriptive

than prescriptive. I think some commenters may be perceiving more angst about internal authority than I intended. My point is that there is a move toward internal authority sponsored by our culture and supported by our institutions, and for at least 40 years scholars have been observing it (using slightly different language). Eminent Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor calls this move “the massive subjective turn of modern culture” and British sociologists Heelas and Woodhead say “the subjective turn has become the defining cultural development in modern Western culture.” On the other hand, if readers picked up my concern for the future of our evangelical churches and our evangelically-raised youth, you are correct. I hope we all are. The reality is, Canadians of all ages are leaving their churches in droves. There are various reasons, but my point is that the pull of the cultural current is part of the reason. Based on my interview data, this internal locus of authority is evident in evangelical churches, even among the devout. I see it in myself. This cultural sea-change makes for declining authority among evangelical leaders, like all external authorities. Since our culture is the water we all swim in, it easily becomes taken-forgranted, covert, or subconscious. I hope what I wrote makes us more aware of the influences of cultural change on our churches. Again, many thanks for engaging with my article, and for your helpful comments, SAM REIMER

is Professor of Sociology at Crandall University in Moncton, New Brunswick.

MB Herald Jobs posts ministry-related positions in the North American evangelical Anabaptist community. It’s a place where churches or other non-profit organizations can advertise vacant roles. And it’s a place to come when looking for a ministry change. Find new postings or advertise now at jobs.mbherald.com.

Telling the MB Story In our last issue, we announced that in 2024, the MB Herald Digest will be published every two months. This allows our small team to focus on alternative ways of telling the story of how God is moving within and throughout our denomination. Behind the scenes, we are getting ready to launch our MB Herald Podcast, and have been busy recording interviews and scheduling guests for the show. You can also find original stories and updates on mbherald.com. Story submissions and podcast topic suggestions are welcome! >> Email us at mbherald@mbchurches.ca.

PCO | MAY 28-30, 2024 2024 PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES AND CONVENTIONS

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.

ONMB Convention February 23-24

MBCM Assembly March 1-2

AEFMQ Convention March 23

SKMB Assembly March 22-23

ABMB Convention April 12-13

BCMB Convention April 26-27

CCMBC AGM | JUNE 13, 2024

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2024

Dave Ens, Moderator of Mennonite Brethren Church Manitoba

River East Church to be removed from membership

(MBCM) leads special assembly held on January 20, 2024.

MBCM Assembly votes in favour of special resolution concerning River East Church On January 20, 2024, over 350 delegates and guests gathered at Westwood Community Church to vote on a special resolution presented by Mennonite Brethren Church Manit ob a (M B C M) le ader sh ip. Eighty-three percent of the church delegates voted in favour of the resolution, which will lead to River East Church losing its MBCM membership effective May 31, 2024 unless it takes remedial steps. This follows a similar resolution related to Jubilee Mennonite which passed in March 2023. The January 20, 2024 resolution read as follows: “We, the Assembly of Congregations of the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, do resolve that, unless River East Church returns to an active embrace of MBCM member church expectations by May 30, 2024, River East Church’s oﬃcial membership in the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba will end eﬀective May 31, 2024.

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“We ﬁnally resolve that should River East Church’s MBCM membership end as of May 31, 2024, MBCM extends an ongoing invitation for REC to return to MBCM if they choose to embrace and live in accordance with our shared member church expectations.” In January 2020, River East published a statement of inclusivity on its website: “River East Church is a Jesus community for the world. We invite everyone to join us in living out this mission as followers of Jesus in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition. “This invitation is extended to all persons, whatever their ability, age, ethnicity, family status, gender identity, income level, race, sexual orientation, or other identity distinctives. All are welcome to full participation with us in the journey of discipleship. “We strive to live as a community of love, even as we acknowledge our different understandings of Scripture. In our diversity, we gather

around the Lord’s Table to celebrate our unity in Christ.” River East declared its intention to affirm same-sex marriages, which conflicted with Article 11 (Marriage, Singleness, and Family) of the shared Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches’ Confession of Faith. Article 11 states, “Marriage is a covenant relationship intended to unite a man and a woman for life.” In August 2019, River East church leaders met with Cam Priebe, the provincial director of MBCM, and Jason Dyck, the director of church ministries, indicating that the church was exploring new approaches to welcoming and caring for LGBTQ+ individuals, and processing possible implications. A four-year discussion and discernment process between the two groups followed, culminating in the January 20, 2024 special assembly. “This statement was 20 years in the making,” said River East moderator Reynold Redekop, “River East is

not buckling to social pressures, nor do we seek to change the Confession of Faith.” Redekop provided examples of alterations to the Confession, allowing for communion with the unbaptized and blessings of post-divorce remarriage. On Article 11, the Mennonite Brethren Conference holds firm. While churches across Manitoba came together to determine an outcome related to River East, it was also a space for delegates and guests to voice the broader concern of loving well and a healthy process for resolving potential future conflicts with local churches. A delegate from a church in Winnipeg said, “Our process should be based on patience and unity, not uniformity of thought. Regardless of how this vote turns out, we are

concerned for our future. We have work to do.” Though the process is difficult, this delegate added that his church continues to support the function, work, and leadership of MBCM. After much deliberation and conversation, a delegate called for the question, moving the assembly towards a vote. By secret ballot, the assembled body of churches approved the motion which could lead to the removal of River East Church from MBCM membership, effective May 31, 2024. River East lead pastor Mary Anne Isaak said in a departing blessing, “As we part ways, we recognize the many blessings in our shared 60-year partnership. We honour the ministries River East has lived out with the broader MB family. We pray that God upholds

Ukraine

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the MB congregations of Manitoba with abundant faith.” Jason Dyck, who appeared visibly emotional and shaken by the weight of this decision, pronounced an exhortation and blessing to River East, “River East Church, keep loving one another as brothers and sisters. Embrace humility toward one another. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Be caught up and enraptured by the person of Jesus. Today, you face a rejection; may God infuse your recovery. Today, your faith family is changed; may the Spirit of our Lord guide you into a faithful future.” MB Herald staff with files from MBCM

THE CHURCH AND AI: DEVELOPING A THEOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY BY MIKE ENGBERS TH I S I S TH E FI RS T A RTI CLE O F A TH R E E- PA RT SERIES EXPLORING THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN THE CHURCH. P A R T T W O R E F L E C T S T H E O L O G I C A L LY O N A I A N D PA R T T H R E E C O N S I D E R S W H AT T H E F U T U R E H O L D S WHEN IT COMES TO AI IN THE CHURCH.

t seems like every time we turn on the news, we hear someone talking about artificial intelligence (AI). It’s a global phenomenon— one that includes the church. Christian bloggers are exploring it, churches are playing with it and pastors are using it in ministry. Early on in my ministry, many people in my congregation were interested in learning about and practicing spiritual disciplines. But the response was always mixed—some loved this idea while others opposed it. For those in opposition, since they did not know this new thing, it was wrong. It was perceived as evil or sinful. I heard numerous people describe this trend as dangerous. Over time, we’ve embraced the notion that our faith needs to be more than cognitive; we have acknowledged that the spiritual practices used throughout history have value. The initial challenge for the church was that it lacked the language or theology to address the issue at the time. Since then, people have wrestled through theology and language to assess what is Biblical and potentially harmful to our spiritual development. This maturing of theology in the church has resulted in spiritual growth, wisdom and discernment. When it comes to technology in the church, we are in a very similar space: we are not practiced in discussing or reflecting theologically on technology. The biggest challenge is that technology is a tool used

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in ministry and is not the primary focus as spiritual practices were. As a church, we have taken technology for granted rather than evaluating and reflecting on the implications of technology and its impact on ministry. We often see technology as amoral and in the background. That is changing as the church begins to respond to the recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Before we reflect on AI, we need to understand what scripture says about technology—why we have it, what its role is and whether it is good or bad. To do that, we need to return to the very beginning: Genesis 1-11. We also need to define technology in the most basic terms to apply it historically, in the present and in the future. For our purposes, technology is any tool we create to accomplish an objective or task. Most of us when we hear the word “technology,” we think of computers and the internet. In the past, technology could be a telephone or a telegram. Looking back even further in history, technology can be any simple tool, from a hammer to a shovel or a sewing needle. At one point or another, these were all revolutionary advances in technology that transformed the world. In 100 years, today’s technology will seem archaic. With such a basic definition of technology, we can find in Genesis 1-11 the foundation for a theology of technology that will help us reflect on AI and how it shapes our culture and ministry. Our theology begins with who God is and how he creates. God creates the world over six days, and in that, we are shown several things: God exists, God is intentional, God is creative, and God does not need any tools for creation. He simply speaks. As silly as it sounds, it identifies that God doesn’t need technology. This is essential to our understanding of our need for technology.

Once God comes to create humanity, we are told we are created in his image. At this point in scripture, what has been revealed to us about God is that he exists, he is intentional and he is creative. So God creating us in his image means we are also made to be creative. We see this reflected in the first task God assigns us as stewards of creation—to name all the animals. We are called to be creative within God’s creation. God spoke creation into existence, and in turn, we reflect that in a much less magnanimous act of creativity by speaking the names of animals into existence. Still no technology is needed. The image of the Garden of Eden is one where we have no need, are in an intimate relationship with God, and are equipped to be stewards of the fruit of God’s creativity. We can live out our identity as God’s image-bearers to our fullest potential. Then the event we all know occurs—Adam and Eve sin, and in their shame, they find themselves naked and decide to make clothing. It is at this moment that we see technology first enter the picture. Some sort of tool is needed to assemble the clothing. Perhaps a primitive knife and a poor attempt to create a needle are used. We can be confident that Adam and Eve applied their God-given creativity to use some sort of tool or technology to create their feeble clothing. God notices their clothing, and a difficult conversation ensues. Interestingly enough, God created better clothing for Adam and Eve. Despite God’s most profound disappointment in his creation, he provides Adam and Eve with clothing he creates—he gives them a starting point of how to make better clothing. Something they will be able to replicate using the tools they develop. So, in our sinfulness, we see God has provided us with our creativity and encourages us to create and use technology through the way he models it to us. To be creative in our world without using technology is extremely difficult. The closest example I can imagine is remembering how my daughter used to play outside as a baby. Even as an infant, she was being creative. She would inevitably be a mess from the dirt, sand and mud that she used for her creative exploits. Yet once she was done playing—we would bring her into the house (that is built and heated), clean her up in the bath (indoor plumbing) and dress her in fresh and dry clothing (plumbing again, plus electricity)— technology was still used. Since the fall, creativity and technology go hand-in-hand on some level: technology supports our creativity or is a tool that we directly use while we create. So the question becomes: what do we do with the technology we have?

We have two contrasting stories in Genesis 1-11 that are valuable to our discussion of technology. The first is Noah building the ark, and the second is the narrative of the tower of Babel. In a concise summary, we see Noah honouring God’s wishes and using his creativity and the tools necessary to honour and obey God. The fruit of this obedience was his and his family’s survival of the flood. We can use technology and creativity to honour and obey God in our world. The second story is the Tower of Babel. Here we find the people of the world united in their purpose to build a tower so they could make a name for themselves. This usage of tools and creativity was not to honour God but to honour themselves. At the heart of this story is elevating ourselves over honouring God. We see this elsewhere in scripture where idolatry occurs. Idolatry is elevating our creativity to replace God as the deity in our lives. It is essentially elevating ourselves—where God created us, we, in turn, wish to be the creator of a god. The challenge is that we merely reflect God’s creativity, and our sin taints our creativity. We do not have the same ability for creation that God does. When it comes to technology, we have a clear choice in how we use it. In these two stories, the starting point is the same: building something significant. But the goal and outcome are vastly different—one honours God while the other honours humanity and diminishes God. When we reflect theologically on technology, we need to consider how we use technology and what its purpose is. We must also think about how using technology honours the creative image of God, in contrast with how it distorts his image. Our reflection begins internally with our heart and mind, and then progresses to the technology itself. This is the basis on which we can now approach reflecting theologically on Artificial Intelligence and its role in our society, the church and our individual ministries. MIKE ENGBERS

is the Lead Pastor at Parliament Community Church in Regina, SK. Mike completed his Doctor of Ministry at Carey Theological College in 2018 during which he explored and developed his theology of technology while helping churches be intentional and reflect on how they use technology to further their kingdom ministry. In part two of this series, Mike will be answering five theological questions about Artificial Intelligence and its role in the church. Watch for this article on mbherald.com.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2024

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

Q& R corner

Q&R corner provides responses to questions that readers may have about CCMBC and its work collaborating with provincial MB conferences in areas of spiritual health and theology, leadership development, mission, and organizational health in order to achieve the overall mission: “To cultivate a community and culture of healthy disciple-making churches and ministries, faithfully joining Jesus in his mission.” If you would like to contribute a question, please send it to questions@mbchurches.ca Please note that we will not be using your name in the MB Herald Digest in order to respect those who prefer anonymity. There may not be space to respond to every question—and sometimes we might not really have the ability or authority to respond to some questions (for example, those that relate more directly to one of our provincial MB conferences or to a local church leadership). We apologize in advance if we are unable to publish a response to your specific question.

I’ve been encountering more and more talk about progressive Christianity as well as deconstruction stories. What seems to be common in both cases is a low view of the Bible and its authority and trustworthiness. Can you speak to the causes behind this diminished view of the Christian scriptures and also to how we can wisely and winsomely respond to those who either express these views or are contemplating them? D. Thanks, D., for this very important question that certainly has and will continue to have a huge impact on our MB church family in Canada and beyond. For the past 160 plus years of MB history, we have been employing what could be termed a traditional but still Christocentric hermeneutical method (a way of studying and understanding the Bible) that assumed the following: entire Bible has a consistent theological perspective. The God ˚ The of the Old Testament and the New Testament is the same one true God. Bible is not simply a collection of human wisdom (cf. 1 Thess ˚ The 2:13; 2 Pet 1:21) but is superintended, guided, and breathed out by the Holy Spirit in concert with human authors/editors (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). Bible from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 is God’s story revealing ˚ The to us God’s Kingdom plans for the world. Because of the brokenness of the world, humans need reconciliation with God, others, creation, and themselves—but it all starts with reconciliation with God that is only possible through Jesus. This Kingdom plan offers humans a new identity (viz., redeemed child of God, citizen

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“adaptive Christianity”), and more popular writers like Rob Bell and Richard Rohr are vocal proponents of progressive Christianity. (I don’t think they would be offended by my identifying them as such.) While it is not a unified movement with a statement of faith on some website, here are the most commonly held convictions:

Scripture:

progressive Christianity, the Bible is a his˚ For torical collection of the theological and ethical

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

of the Kingdom, member of the body of Christ), a new life posture and orientation (viz., a worshipper of King Jesus), a new discipleship path that recenters everything toward the Kingdom (Matt 6:33), and a new community (viz., the church) embodying God’s character and mission. the biblical story moves forward to Jesus ˚ While and ultimately to Jesus’s final return, all parts of the story work together to guide Christian disciples today. the process of how we received what we ˚ While call our Bible with its 66 books is complicated, the Holy Spirit used these writings to speak faithfully to the original audience and continues to use them in an ongoing way to reveal to us truth about God, our human condition, and God’s good plans for salvation, healing, and restoration. This means that our hermeneutical method assumes that the entire Bible communicates reliable truth to us about God, the Kingdom, discipleship, and God’s future plans for the world. The Bible has a divine author who superintended and safeguarded the process so that it could be “the infallible Word of God and the authoritative guide for faith and practice” (MB Confession; Article 2). “Word of God” means that God can be heard clearly through its pages. The Bible’s “authority” means that we believe it communicates God’s word to humans more clearly than any other source and all other sources of revelation should be checked for their consistency with it (cf. 1 John 4:1). Because of our confidence in the Bible having a divine source, we believe that this story is told in a way faithful to God’s character and purposes, and therefore “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16-17). Inside and outside our MB family, many Christians who have grown up with these understandings of Scripture, the nature of God, the meaning of the gospel, and the centrality of the church are deconstructing all of these (which means they are questioning and rejecting these convictions) and embracing a new approach that redefines everything that we thought was foundational to Christian belief. This new approach does not represent a minor disagreement about a few disputable matters, but a radical and wholesale change that, if followed, would require the rewriting of almost every article in our present MB Confession of Faith. While not everyone agrees on what this collection of new convictions should be called, it is commonly referred to by its proponents as “Progressive Christianity” (although some have called it “Christian humanism” or even “therapeutic church”). Well-known scholars like Walter Wink, Walter Brueggemann, Brad Jersak, and Peter Enns (although he prefers the expression

understandings of well-meaning but weak and fallible humans like us. Some biblical ideas are insightful and timeless, but many are misguided and need to be critiqued and even rejected (e.g., God wanting Israel to kill the Canaanites; God wanting Israel to divorce their foreign wives; God needing animal sacrifices to achieve forgiveness, God having wrath against people, etc.). progressive Christianity, the Bible is a ˚ For progression of ideas about God and God’s purposes—and we are not limited to the Bible because just as God spoke to them and gave them wisdom in their context, God can give us new wisdom in ours. This new wisdom could be diametrically opposed to what the Bible says, but this is consistent with how God works (cf. Acts 15). progressive Christianity, what is most ˚ For important about the Bible is that it tells us the Jesus story—and no matter all the troubling things that we find in the rest of the Bible and even within the New Testament—we can salvage enduring and life-changing values from the Jesus story (viz., love, compassion, inclusion of the marginalized, reduction of harm) and make them the centre of our theology and ethics. What matters is not complex and puzzling ideas about God’s holiness and wrath, the nature of the atonement, or the reality of final judgment, but the very practical opportunity to live out the model of Jesus’ love in the world. “Right beliefs” should not be the priority but rather living out God’s love to the world (cf. Matt 25:31-46).

The nature and character of God:

For progressive Christianity, Jesus is really all ˚ you need to know about God (John 14:9; Col 1:15). Since Jesus is all about unconditional love, compassion, inclusion, and desire to reduce harm, then we can be confident that this is what God is like. Therefore when biblical writers portray God in ways that prioritize holiness, wrath, legalism, retribution, exclusion, or judgment, these must be misunderstandings of God.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2024

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

How to follow Jesus and make ethical decisions:

progressive Christianity, the biggest barrier ˚ For between people and God is nothing other than

people misunderstanding God’s loving character and purposes. People have an ignorance problem. They misunderstand the loving and inclusive nature of God. They don’t need to be “converted” to Christianity but to be welcomed and loved by those claiming to be followers of Jesus. They need to be saved from false and harmful views of God (viz., God is judging them, they have a sin problem, etc.). For progressive Christianity, those who do ˚ decide to identify as disciples of Jesus should live out unconditional love, compassion, inclusion, and the reduction of harm. Every ethical challenge is examined through this lens.

A new hermeneutic for reading the Bible:

Progressive Christianity has a strong aversion to guilt, shame, stigmatization, and exclusion. Since the Bible (or rather Christians wielding the Bible) has allegedly produced much harm (viz., guilt, shame, exclusion, etc.), the argument is that we need a new way of reading the Bible that will avoid these kinds of harm. A progressive hermeneutic assumes that many theological/ethical teachings in the Bible are simply inaccurate and wrong so we must prioritize what we know and can have confidence in. We can trust the model and message of Jesus so this is the centre of what we should be hearing in the Bible. If some other biblical text conflicts with this message of love, compassion, inclusion of the marginalized, and the reduction of harm—then it is misguided and of human origin. Some who embrace a progressive hermeneutic appeal not simply to the New Testament Jesus and his model of living, but to the “Living Word Jesus” who can guide Christians toward ethical decisions even if they conflict with what is contained in Scripture. In this approach when we face difficult questions about abortion, divorce, LGBTQ+ inclusion, MAiD, and so on, we should not be asking “what does the Bible say?” but “what does Jesus (the Living Word) say?” All progressive Christianity claims is that it wants to follow Jesus and love people. It is an especially tempting option for Christians in the Anabaptist tradition who have always argued for the centrality of Jesus and the importance of peace and reconciliation. Progressive Christianity embraces an unequivocal good news message about the nature of God and God’s calling for humans. It is easy to see why progressive Christianity is so incredibly

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Progressive Christianity removes the bad news and the difficult elements that are part of what we have proclaimed as the gospel. There is no bad news about sin, guilt, alienation from God, or the need for a new identity in Christ. There is no message that people need not only a new understanding of God but forgiveness from that God and freedom from spiritual powers of death, sin, and evil.

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attractive for people of all ages—especially for younger adults who have grown up deeply immersed in cultural waters that fit well with the positive message that progressive Christianity proclaims. Our biggest question about progressive Christianity is not whether it is attractive (it certainly is for Christians moving through deconstruction of their faith) or whether it has led progressive Christians to loving others sacrificially and doing good things in their neighbourhoods (it certainly has), but whether it is true. Is it true that our biggest human problem is not alienation from God (which spills over into alienation from others, creation, and one’s self), but rather ignorance about the true nature of God? Is this the truth that will set us free? (John 8:32). Progressive Christianity removes the bad news and the difficult elements that are part of what we have proclaimed as the gospel. There is no bad news about sin, guilt, alienation from God, or the need for a new identity in Christ. There is no message that people need not only a new understanding of God but forgiveness from that God and freedom from spiritual powers of death, sin, and evil. There is no mention of every human facing a future of either eternal life or eternal separation from God. Instead, there is good news that God basically affirms everyone’s pursuit of a life of personal happiness and personal freedom and (as much as possible) a life without personal suffering. This good news plays well with our secular culture. It is not entirely clear if progressive Christianity really needs God at all. Our MB Confession, on the other hand, describes a gospel that is more like a good news— bad news—good news kind of story. The good news is that in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, God has forgiven sins, conquered all the powers of Satan, sin, and death, created a renewed people of God—and brought God’s Kingdom to earth! The bad news is that, without a person receiving

So what advice do I have?

would begin with a posture of: What can we ˚ Ilearn from all of this? In what ways have we

failed to embody the character and mission of Jesus so that progressive Christianity became so attractive? How have we failed to communicate well the nature of Scripture, the character of God as Creator, Redeemer, and King, and the amazing magnitude of God’s Kingdom mission? How have we failed as church families to love people in suffering, and failed to care about God’s good creation? I want to engage with each person in the midst of deconstruction and see what we can learn in order to be more faithful in our pursuit of and participation in God’s Kingdom mission. a positive note going forward, I do think we ˚ On need to take more seriously our responsibility to preach, teach, and live out the fullness and beauty of God’s Kingdom story evident all through the Bible. The Bible is “inspired,” “infallible,” and our authoritative source for understanding God, God’s character, and God’s purposes—because God is using it to tell God’s story and to shape us into Christlikeness through this story. While we declare that the Bible is “a unified story that leads to Jesus” (to borrow words from the Bible Project), this does not mean that only the Gospels are inspired. We believe that the entire Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) is a faithful description of the ups and downs of God’s big and beautiful Kingdom story. The loving, holy, righteous, and just Triune God is bringing his Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven—and bringing into submission everything that opposes his good purposes! Becoming a redeemed disciple of Jesus is the path to human flourishing and the healing of alienation with God, others, creation, and the self. This Kingdom story is still ongoing and will be complete only when the events described in Revelation 21-22 are a reality. I want to do everything I can to communicate that “wisely and winsomely” and I hope all MB pastors, leaders, and teachers join in with this. finally, while we hope, by God’s grace, to ˚ But speak the truth in love, seek first God’s Kingdom with integrity, confess our own failings regularly, and trust Jesus, it is only Jesus who can preserve his Bride without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:26-27). Again, thanks for your question. I hope that something here will be encouraging and helpful.

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

reconciliation with God through Jesus, there is no Kingdom life, no Holy Spirit presence, and no new identity in Christ (viz., child of God, Kingdom citizen, and member of the body of Christ). The good news is that Kingdom life (a.k.a. eternal life), Holy Spirit presence, a new identity in Christ, and inclusion in the people of God, are available to anyone through grace, faith, and forgiveness by means of Jesus. However, this Kingdom life necessarily leads to walking in the path of obedience to Jesus. This discipleship journey is best lived out within the context of a worshipping church community participating in God’s Kingdom mission until Jesus returns. There is profound love and compassion in this story, even though it has some “bad news.” There is universal invitation but only inclusion for those who respond to that invitation to salvation and discipleship. And while for disciples of Jesus, some suffering might end, walking in suffering is part of Christian discipleship. This suffering has a purpose (cf. 2 Cor 4:16-18; Rom 5:3-4) and an ultimate end (1 Peter 5:10; Rev 21:4). As one can tell, there are profound differences between progressive Christianity and what our MB Confession of Faith describes as our shared convictions. Some argue that we should not be concerned about progressive Christianity since our highest priority should be “unity” and modeling this unity to the outside world. We should embrace a “centered-set” approach where we don’t worry about boundaries (and differences in how we understand those boundaries) but walk together since we both have the same centre (viz., Jesus). While this sounds plausible and defensible, the challenge here is that a centered-set approach is only possible if we can agree about the centre. If we both use the same word for the centre (viz., Jesus) but we differ profoundly in terms of our understandings of Jesus and Jesus’ purpose and mission, then we are not really moving toward the same centre. In addition, since we don’t share the same hermeneutic methodology, there is no way to adjudicate between competing truth claims about Jesus and Jesus’s mission. We can’t just sit together and study the Bible with the expectation that in the end we will have resolution—since our methods of studying the Bible differ profoundly. I have tried to describe what I see as the nature of progressive Christianity and some of the ways it is on a collision course with our MB Confession of Faith. But your actual question is, how can we “wisely and winsomely respond to those who either express these views or are contemplating them?”

Blessings and Shalom in Jesus! Ken Esau (National Faith & Life Director)

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

COMPETITION AND CONFLICT BY MARK WESSNER

you are being honest, have you ever wondered if the ancient biblical narratives have anything to say about leadership in the 21st century? How are the old and new worlds even remotely similar? I have wondered about these questions myself. Over the years, though, as I read the Bible slowly and carefully, I have come to see that there is, perhaps surprisingly, a deep connection between yesterday and today. For example, did you know that the carefully crafted narratives of the First and New Testaments contain rich descriptions of senior executive leadership? Remarkable, right? Before we look at the Bible, let me first define what I mean by “senior executive leadership”. Essentially, a senior executive leader is primarily responsible for the overall visionary, strategic, and/or operational leadership of an organization, department, or program area. More specifically, I see a senior executive leader as being primarily responsible for four areas: (health, integrity, emotional ˚ Self-leadership intelligence, professional growth, etc) team (relationships, structure, capacity, ˚ Internal priorities, etc) relationships (partners, allies, compet˚ External itors, threats, etc) accomplishment (mission, vision, prior˚ Mission ities, goals, outcomes, metrics, etc). Senior executive leadership is not defined by the size of the team but by the areas of responsibility.

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With that in mind, take a few minutes and slowly read Genesis 13:1-18. Did you actually read it? If not, stop, go back, and read it before you continue. There are many layers to unpack, but in the context of Abram’s leadership, here are some observations. After numerous life-altering moves from Mesopotamia, through Canaan, to Egypt, and then back to Canaan, Abram found himself as the leader of a large tribe with great wealth. The next closest in power was his nephew Lot, who was migrating with Abram. Both tribes grew larger, and as the story unfolds, we read about their inevitable conflict. There were not enough resources to support both groups; quarrelling and tensions had increased beyond any easy solution. Abram, the older and more experienced leader, took the initiative and named the obvious. Abram’s tribe and Lot’s tribe needed to separate and go different ways. To facilitate this, Abram asked Lot to look at two options—the land to the left and the right—and choose the one he wanted. Lot chose the land that looked like it had the best resources, and Abram took the other.

GOD HAS LED YOU INTO WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW, HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND LET IT INFLUENCE YOUR LEADERSHIP? So why would Abram, the patriarchal leader with enough social, political, and military power to do whatever he wanted, apparently give up control and let Lot have the first choice? I wonder if there are two reasons, one that isn’t described in the text and one that is. What the biblical narrative doesn’t say but seems to be a theme in Abram’s earlier years is that Abram was uncomfortable with conflict (but that is a discussion for another time). The more obvious reason, though, is that Abram had a deep-seated belief that God would deliver on his promises. Note that that story begins and ends with references to an altar to the Lord. Abram called on the name of the Lord. The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot left and reaffirmed the promise. Abram’s senior executive leadership was built on a relationship with God and believing he could be trusted with his word. Side note: Contrary to what might be our first instincts, Genesis 13 is not a story about Abram. First and foremost, when reading any biblical narrative, we must remind ourselves that God is the hero of every story. No matter how well-known the other characters are, they are secondary. For Abram, the strategy to give two options and let the other person choose was about mission accomplishment and his trust that God would be the hero. Abram believed that God would keep his promise and was willing to demonstrate that trust even when there was a significant risk. That was not (and often is not) typical leadership. Fast-forward to today. What is going on in your leadership context right now? Perhaps quarrelling or conflict in your organization or department threatens its viability or even existence. Perhaps a rising leader is gaining momentum, and it feels like she is getting more followers or influence than you. Or perhaps your organization or ministry has grown to the point where there are not enough resources to sustain it, and people are looking to you to make a decision.

To make matters worse, have you accepted the narrative that since you are the senior executive leader, the fate of your organization falls entirely on your shoulders? If so, that belief just might be suffocating you. Let me suggest some questions to help you discover how the Genesis 13:118 narrative still speaks to today’s leadership, and how a biblical lens might give you the insight you need. Whether in the marketplace, nonprofit, or ministry leadership, to what degree do you have a sense of calling or purpose from God? How comfortable are you with the language of “calling” or “God’s leading”? If you have a sense that God has led you into what you are doing now, how often do you think about it and let it influence your leadership? In your estimation, is your organization, department, or ministry facing a current or impending crisis that threatens its sustainability or future? To what extent does a challenge like that invigorate or paralyze you? With those questions in mind, here are two ideas to help you integrate them into your life and leadership. Make time today to step away from your daily tasks for 10 minutes and reflect on any of God’s promises that come to mind. Acknowledge and thank him for his sovereignty and faithfulness, even in the midst of chaos. No matter how busy you and I think we are, opening our eyes and expressing gratitude can be transformative. Ask God to give you wisdom and courage to make the difficult decisions you are facing today. And then trust him. This week, reflect on the Genesis 13:118 narrative, renew your sense of trust that God is actively involved in your context, and resist the pressure to believe that the success of your leadership falls entirely on you.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

IF YOU HAVE A SENSE THAT

MARK WESSNER

is the President of MB Seminary and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies for Leadership. He and his wife Jennifer attend Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, B.C.

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2 0 2 4 M O N T H LY P R AY E R F O C U S Over the last few years, the National Faith & Life Team has provided prayer resources for individuals and churches within our MB family. In 2023, we moved to a monthly “Moments in Prayer” pattern that focused on prayers for the Holy Spirit to fill us! But the title “Moments in Prayer” seemed a little like our devotion to prayer was only for a few “moments” and wasn’t calling us to much effort. If we have learned anything from the events of 2023 and our personal, church, community, national, and global challenges, prayer is a central part of how we can participate in God’s Kingdom work in the world. Prayer is part of how hostile powers are dethroned, how God’s name is lifted up, how hearts and minds are drawn to Jesus, and how healing and restoration is brought to our world in the name of Jesus. So our 2024 monthly prayer focus is being renamed “Contending in Prayer.” Contending involves earnest effort even to the point of disputing or fighting for (cf. Eph 6:12). While contending in prayer may sound like we are disputing or fighting with God, we are instead praying in order to join with God who is actively contending for his Kingdom purposes against all that is working against these purposes. We are praying diligently for God’s Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, for our churches to more faithfully embrace the character and mission of that Kingdom, and for us to become transformed in prayer into the image of Jesus. I invite you to join with others across our country as we contend in prayer daily— lifting up the name of King Jesus together, and praying for more of God’s Kingdom to be manifested on earth as it is in heaven!

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Gratitude Prayer

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Dan 6:10)

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 C O N T E N D I N G I N P R AY E R :

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Eph 5:3-4) Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, 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. (Eph 5:18-20) Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:16-18)

REFLEC TIO NS: Our January 2024 Contending in Prayer Guide begins with Gratitude Prayer. While it might seem that we should leave this for October and rather focus on intercession or lament, gratitude is at the forefront of contending against the powers of darkness. In one of his letters, Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) wrote that ingratitude “is the cause, beginning, and origin of all sins and misfortunes.” This may well be why Paul highlights thanksgiving as the functional replacement for obscenity, foolish talk, or course joking (Eph 5:3-4) and as a natural outgrowth of being filled with the Spirit (cf. Eph 5:20). And in case we assume that gratitude is appropriate only when we are experiencing blessing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 implores us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” So gratitude prayers are one of the most significant ways of contending against sin, dethroning the idolatries of covetousness and greed, and drawing us into greater health with God, others, creation, and ourselves. Gratitude prayers move us closer to the heart of God’s Kingdom and God’s character. Meister Eckhart (1260-1327) is famously given credit for saying: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is—Thank You—it will be enough.” So gratitude prayers are all about saying Thank you! While all gratitude prayers can be meaningful and transformative, the most significant ones are those that bring us to a state of deep contentment and appreciation for what we have been given (cf. 1 Tim 6:6-10)—our life, our physical body with all of its pros and cons, our experience of salvation through Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit, our community of people we call family, our church community, our experience of physical provision, and so on. Gratitude prayers are part of contending against all that steals, kills, and destroys. Gratitude prayers are Kingdom prayers.

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CONSIDER: do you need to grow in gratitude? ˚ Where Where do you especially need to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:17)? ˚ How can gratitude prayer become a daily part of your prayer life for 2024? ˚

G R AT I T U D E P R AY E R : P R AY I N G I N T H E P AT T E R N O F P S A L M 1 3 6 For January, we will be praying along with Psalm 136 which is one of the most beautiful gratitude prayers in Scripture with its powerful refrain that God’s love endures forever. Read each section slowly out loud as a prayer (feel free to change the pronouns from “he” and “his” to “You” and “Your”). In the middle section, add as many personal and/or church family items of gratitude as possible. 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever. 23 He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever. 25 He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. Thank you, LORD, and Amen!

(Ken Esau, National Faith & Life Director)

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F E B R U A R Y C O N T E N D I N G I N P R AY E R :

Adoration/Praise Prayer “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” (Psa 47:6-7) “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation…. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!” (1 Sam 22:2-3, 47) “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chron 16:8-11) “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger…. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psa 8:1-2, 9)

REFLEC TIO NS: Our February 2024 Contending in Prayer Guide is focused on Adoration/Praise Prayer. While some might differentiate between adoration and praise, we will keep them together. Adoration is specifically about declaring truths about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes (e.g., “You God are righteous! You are our Truth! You are the only wise God!”). Praise includes adoration but it can also lift up God’s name in response to how God has helped and delivered (e.g., “Praise you, O LORD, because you have delivered us from slavery, sin, and death!”). Adoration/praise prayers are about declaring truth about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes. Some might ask whether God has a weak self-image and needs humans to speak these prayers out for some self-congratulatory purpose. Why does God want angelic beings for example declaring nonstop: “’Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev 4:8)? While this question has occupied Christian thinkers for centuries, one of the best answers is that the declaration of truth about the “Lord God Almighty” properly centers God’s created beings and focuses their eyes on the One who is Truth and Life. We

become like what we worship: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18; See also G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship, IVP Academic, 2008). So adoration/praise prayers, from a posture of worship, declare truths about God, and the daily repetition of declaring truth changes us. It takes the focus off of ourselves, off of our immediate situation and needs—and off of all the false loves that vie for our attention. As the hymn writer Helen Lemmel wrote: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.” Adoration/praise prayers are Kingdom prayers because they work to return God to the center and by doing this, they dethrone the self, dethrone greed and selfishness, and dethrone all other competing powers. There is no Kingdom work without a focus on the praise and glorification of the King. Declaring the truth about God and God’s Kingdom makes us less susceptible to all the lies that are swirling around us each and every day. Let us dedicate ourselves anew to speaking out adoration/praise prayers.

CONSIDER:

˚ ˚

What elements of God, God’s character, and/or God’s purposes do you find so compelling that you want to declare them in praise? How can adoration/praise prayers become a daily part of your prayer life in 2024?

A D O R AT I O N / P R A I S E P R AY E R : P R AY I N G I N T H E P AT T E R N O F PSALM 145 We may find it daunting to speak out adoration/ praise prayers that express adequately the truth about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes. The good news is that the Old Testament book of Psalms has many adoration/praise psalms that we can read and identity with. For February, we will be praying along with Psalm 145 which is one of the most beautiful adoration/praise prayers in Scripture. Read each section out loud as a prayer declaring truth. At the end, add a few lines of adoration/praise that have been prompted in you. You may want to read this psalm every day for a week and add new lines every day. PSALM 145

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. 11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. 1

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The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. 14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. My mouth speaks this praise to you, O LORD

My mouth declares this praise to your holy name

We praise you, LORD, and Amen! (Ken Esau, National Faith & Life Director)

M A R C H C O N T E N D I N G I N P R AY E R :

Grief Prayer

“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? …. I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow….” (Psa 6:3, 6-7) “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psa 34:18) “My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones…. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof…. For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drinks with tears.” (Psa 102:4-5, 7, 9) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt 5:4) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30) Our March 2024 Contending in Prayer Guide is focused on Grief Prayer where we honestly express our grief to God in prayer. Grief prayer is a surprising component in the book of Psalms, Israel’s prayer book. More than one-third of the psalms are prayers of grief brought before God. While we have highlighted gratitude prayers (January) and adoration/ praise prayers (February), grief prayers are also Kingdom prayers and ways of contending in prayer. Grief is a universal part of our present human condition. There are multiple sources of grief: can grieve out of dissatisfaction with us ˚ We and/or our present situation. We might grieve because we are unhappy with our physical bodies, our collection of gifts or abilities, our achievements or success, our relationship status, our physical possessions, our sinful behaviours, or our level of spiritual maturity. We can also grieve over difficult circumstances that we are facing. We can grieve because of our sense of disappointment with God and/or disappointment with God’s people. Grief can be exacerbated by comparison with others—especially in our social media-crazed world. can grieve out of empathy for the suffering ˚ We of others who are part of our circle but also for those suffering all over the world that we have

connections with or simply can observe through the media. can grieve also for creation as we see envi˚ We ronmental degradation in God’s good world. While grief is natural to our human condition at our present stage in God’s Kingdom story, how we respond to grief is a key element in our spiritual journey. Grief can overwhelm and fester and if given free rein can nurture desires that produce quarrelling, fighting, and sinful outcomes (James 4:1-3; 1 Timothy 6:10). But grief can also be an impetus toward repentance and restoration (James 4:9-10). Grief can lead people to want to abandon devotion to God (Job 2:9). But grief can also produce a greater and deeper faith and commitment to God (Job 2:1011). Grief can lead to desires for revenge and harm to others (Psalm 137:8-9). But grief can also nurture a deeper empathy that leads to acts of compassion for others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Grief is a change catalyst for better or for worse. Scripture provides us with the good news that grief is best brought to God in prayer. Here grief is acknowledged and placed before God’s throne—a God who knows grief deeply. We bring our griefs before a Jesus who knows grief personally and intimately. Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35) and was “overwhelmed with sorrow

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to the point of death” while in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38; cf. Mark 14:34). While in prayer, Jesus was in “anguish” and “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The good news is that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3). So grief prayer is about an honest bringing of our griefs to God and laying them down in front of Jesus. Here are three helpful components of grief prayers for followers of Jesus today: Express your grief honestly and openly to God. ˚ No matter what your grief involves (even disappointments/complaints about God), express them honestly and openly. There is nothing to hide: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:6). “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Entrust your grief to God. One of the surpris˚ ing and even shocking things about some of the grief psalms recorded in the Bible is that people express to God a desire for revenge and harm to those who have hurt them. These are called Imprecatory Psalms (e.g., Psalm 35, 69, 55, 137). While these psalms seem shocking to us, the amazing part is that these psalms entrust this revenge solely to God—who as the judge of all the earth will certainly do right (cf. Genesis 18:25). The entrusting of one’s grief to God places it in God’s hands. Grief can fester in the human heart and produce unhealthy fruit, but grief brought to God in prayer can bring growth in righteousness and the disarming of powers in opposition to God’s Kingdom purposes (such as greed, dissatisfaction, revenge, etc.). Listen to God’s Spirit. Finally, after expressing ˚ our griefs honestly and openly, and entrusting them to God, we need to pause and take time to listen to God’s Spirit in response to what we have brought. The Holy Spirit may speak to us in ways that transform some of our griefs if they arose from a false understanding of our identity, false hopes, and false expectations. The Holy Spirit may calm our grieving as we hear how God cares deeply for the same people on whose behalf we are grieving—and for the creation and its groaning (Romans 8:22). The Holy Spirit may simply remind us that Jesus is “with [us] always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) and point us toward the hope that one day all our

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griefs and sorrows will end (Revelation 21:4). Finally, the Spirit may also prompt us to acts of repentance, compassion, care, etc. that can relieve some of the suffering and brokenness that prompted our grieving in the first place. Grief prayers are components of God’s Kingdom work transforming us more and more into the image of Jesus. Grieving well is part of what love means. Let us with confidence bring our grief prayers before the throne of grace!

CONSIDER: do you most often find your heart griev˚ What ing over? (Since grief can often seem nonspecific, you may want to write out specific components of grief (e.g., “I grieve over the recent passing of ______”, “I grieve over the loss of________”, “I grieve for __________________”). does your grieving lead you to hope ˚ What for? (Again you may want to write out specific hopes that emerge from your expressions of grief (e.g., “I grieve with the hope that ______________ will be open to reconciliation”, “I grieve with the hope that ___________________________”).

G R I E F P R AY E R : P R AY I N G I N T H E P AT T E R N O F P S A L M 5 We can pray our grief prayers in the basic pattern of Psalm 5. You may want to read this psalm every day for a week and add new lines every day. Listen to my words, LORD, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly…. LORD, I bring my grief and sorrow to you today. I am grieving because I am grieving on behalf of I am grieving with the hope that But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. We praise you, LORD, and Amen! (Ken Esau, National Faith & Life Director)

BOOK REVIEW

TH E B EG I N N I N G O F TH E S TO RY THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY: UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE STORY OF THE SCRIPTURE BY TIMOTHY J. GEDDERT, 238 PAGES. PUBLISHED BY HERALD PRESS, HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA, 2023 REVIEWED BY HAROLD JANTZ, ONE-TIME EDITOR OF THE MB HERALD. HAROLD AND NEOMA ARE MEMBERS OF THE CROSSROADS MB CHURCH IN WINNIPEG.

Before I say a few words about this very helpful little volume, I have to recall my first encounter with Tim Geddert; I remember it well. I was editing the MB Herald; it was probably the late 1970s. We carried a story about a University of Saskatchewan student who had not only been named top undergraduate student of his year but had also memorized the entire Gospel of Mark. I had known about his parents in nearby Hepburn, where his father George was a teacher at Bethany Bible Institute. We were hearing about a very gifted young man. Many years later, after nearly a lifetime of teaching at the Mennonite Brethren Seminary in Fresno, Calif., I also read a commentary on the Gospel of Mark by the same Geddert, one written for the Believers Church commentary series. He was using his God-given talents well. In The Beginning of the Story Geddert embarks on an important task: he is trying to tell us why it is important to keep on reading the Old Testament. Unlike the person who wrote to me not long ago, who said the Bible was written “for a very, very different culture that would be incomprehensible and shockingly unchristian to any Christian today,” Geddert would argue quite another viewpoint. He writes, “Without the Bible—the whole story of the Bible, which begins with the Old Testament—we would know almost nothing reliable about the one true God, we would be in the dark about

the meaning and purpose of life, and we would stumble around trying to figure out how to get along with our fellow human beings.” The key, however, as Geddert makes abundantly clear, is that “we read the Old Testament with eyes that have been trained by Jesus and guided by the New Testament.” Indeed. To begin, writes Geddert, it is always helpful to remind ourselves that the only Scriptures early Christians possessed were these that we call the Old Testament. It was from its pages that they mined the promise of salvation and redemption to be found in a Messiah. From its pages Jesus, Paul and the early apostles made the argument that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the hopes and promises embedded there. If we cannot find these, it is because we’re not reading. So then, says Geddert, he wants his modest book to help us “recognize that the Old Testament is a very significant part of the Christian story, and that it both enlightens the New Testament and is enlightened by it.” Furthermore, “the pages of the Old Testament are loaded with indispensable guidance for the life of faith.” To give just one example, what we call the “ten commandments” can easily be transferred into our time and are as relevant as ever. That’s easy, of course. And Geddert recognizes it. The greatest stumbling block to many modern readers of the Old Testament concerns the wars fought by Israel, the laws the Jews were to obey, to name two of the most obvious. Another might be the issue of patriarchy. More about that later. For these he provides several important and helpful insights. What is key in reading about God’s working with a chosen “people group” is that it was always rooted in a “covenant relationship” so “that through them the good news of God’s saving grace might reach the ends of the earth.” God’s goal is “the salvation of the whole world.” But first the troublesome issues. In terms of the wars. We read the accounts, but don’t always note that not all the wars came at God’s command. Or that when they happened, God was the one who was

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the warrior. For those who might want to draw a straight line between OT wars and American (or any other) military interests, the over-arching perspective, Geddert writes, is “how the coming of Jesus shapes what an appropriate application should look like.” A further key perspective, Geddert argues, is that in the Old Testament, “God’s covenant community was embedded within but not equal to Israel as a nation.” Within the New Testament, that has been expanded to the understanding that God’s covenant community is found “within every people group and nation.” These become, he writes, the new “Israel of God.” And what about the laws? Geddert argues not only were the laws intended for the Israelites “to live better.” He adds, we actually live under “far more laws.” The California Drivers’ Handbook has 850 rules. The Books of Moses contain 613 laws. Seriously, more than anything, the laws and their sacrifices prepared us for the supreme sacrifice, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” When the Psalmist tells us, “Oh, how I love your law,” we should recognize too that more than legalism is involved, they go to the heart. He concludes, “God used OT laws to prepare a people to recognize and receive the Christ.” A final comment. In a book that is very helpful, Geddert makes no comment about patriarchy, for which the Bible, especially the OT, is often criticized. Nonetheless, he clearly is quite conscious of it. He will virtually never write of God as “he”. When he describes God, he uses terms such as “creator, sustainer, saviour, covenant partner and parent,” but not as “father.” It is only at the very end of the book that Geddert quotes the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” The references to God as “Father” are so pervasive in the Old and New Testaments, that to deal with them in this fashion severely diminishes this work. God as father can be protector, leader, nurturer, shepherd, and one could think of many more attributes. Moreover, a culture that has lost as much as ours needs

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fathers more than ever. We live amid a culture that has sidelined fathers to a degree seldom seen before. Faithfulness to the biblical vision surely could have given Geddert more to say about God as father than his volume conveys. If ever we needed a message of what fathers might be, it is now. And a theology of healthy sexuality needs it too. So The Beginning of the Story has a great deal to offer, but also raises some concerns.

➔➔➔➔➔ LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK?

Our website has a page dedicated to book reviews and recommendations. Visit mbherald.com/category/artsculture/books to find your next mustread. If you have any ideas on which book we should review next, or if you are interested in submitting a book review, please contact mbherald@ mbchurches.ca. Good News For All People and other works from Tim Geddert can be purchased at kindredproductions.com.

You can now earn

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on your RRSP, TFSA or Cash Account with CCMBC Investments TFSA Earn a return while investing in ministry tax-free. TFSA contribution limit for 2024 is $7,000. Contact us to contribute or open a TFSA account. RRSP Invest in ministry while saving for retirement. RRSP contribution deadline for the 2023 tax year is February 29, 2024. Please note: To meet this deadline you must contact Capstone Asset Management to complete your Subscription Agreement and send your funds to our office by February 26, 2024.

INVESTING IN KINGDOM GROW TH TOGETHER For more information or if you have questions, please contact:

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*per annum. Rate in effect January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024. Subject to change. This information does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities and may not be relied upon in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. If you are interested in investing in CCMBC Investments Ltd., please contact Capstone Asset Management at 1-855-437-7103 or ccmbc@capstoneassets.ca.

Faith and Finance WHAT IS BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP? BY CCMBC LEGACY FUND

If you’ve been in and around church for a while, you’ve likely heard a sermon or two about being a good steward of your finances. Stewardship is one of those words often used in the church, assuming a common understanding of its definition.

So, let’s take a step back: what exactly is stewardship?

“Stewardship” comes from a combination of two Greek words: oikos (house) and nemein (to divide, distribute or apportion). The most direct meaning is “the administration or management of a household.” A steward is a trustee, one entrusted with something valuable. As Christians, stewardship encompasses a deep conviction that how we manage our time, our talents, our finances — our very lives — is rooted in our relationship with God and his Word. The process begins with a commitment to a biblical worldview that acknowledges God has created (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 2:15), and therefore owns everything (Psalm 24:1, Psalm 8:6). So everything we have is ultimately God’s — and we are his trusted executors. A good steward uses God-given resources to accomplish God-given goals. Our responsibility as Christians is to live within God’s world according to the will of God. Stewardship should not be confined to any one area of our lives. As Christian stewards, we are

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creative partners with God, working with him to achieve and serve his purposes. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man getting ready to go on a long journey. Before the man leaves, he entrusts one of his servants with five bags of gold, another with two bags and another with one bag. The first two servants invest their money wisely and double the amount they were initially given. But the third servant is so afraid of losing money, he buries the bag of gold. When the wealthy man returns, the first two servants are rewarded with praise and added responsibility; the third is severely reprimanded, as he didn’t even put the money in the bank to accumulate interest. This parable goes beyond money. It invites us to ask questions such as: What does it mean to be faithful? Are we ready to take risks with the opportunities God gives us? Are our lives bearing fruit as we use them to serve our Master? We are called to steward our very lives, and everything in them, for the glory of God. How we handle our finances is one of the ways we can reorient our human desires and live counter-culturally. In a world where greed is ubiquitous and the pressure for more seems inescapable, following a biblical financial worldview can be incredibly challenging. We may want it all now. It could be that we have dreams, not attainable goals. We might use credit poorly or give

A S C H R I S T I A N S T E WA R DS , W E A R E C R E AT I V E PA R T N E R S W I T H G O D , W O R K I N G WITH HIM TO ACHIEVE AND SERVE HIS PURPOSES. WHEN WE MANAGE E V E R Y T H I N G T H AT G O D H A S E N T R U S T E D T O U S I N A WAY T H AT G L O R I F I E S H I M , IT REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO C H R I S T. I T ’ S A K E Y C O M P O N E N T I N O U R D I S C I P L E S H I P.

‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.’” (Luke 16:10-13) A good steward uses God-given resources to accomplish God-given goals. Our responsibility as Christians is to live within God’s world according to the will of God. As Christian stewards, we are creative partners with God, working with him to achieve and serve his purposes. When we manage everything that God has entrusted to us in a way that glorifies him, it reflects our commitment to Christ. It’s a key component in our discipleship. If we want to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls and minds, we have to include loving him with our money as well. CCMBC LEGACY FUND

exists to provide ministry-focused financial services to facilitate Kingdom Growth. For more information, visit ccmbclegacyfund.com.

A OB

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together that the world may know Jesus

How do we work together on God’s Mission?

SEE OUR G

up too easily. Or we may fail to realize the wealth of our spiritual and material resources. The concept of “God owns, we manage” can be a huge barrier to overcome. Like the third servant in the story, we may be paralyzed by a fear of failure. We may feel so burdened with shame over the unwise financial decisions we’ve made in the past that we’re afraid to ask for help. Or we may simply feel like the money we have is ours to control — we worked hard for it and deserve every penny. We want to be self-sufficient instead of trusting that God will provide. Jesus says this about money: “‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

l t i p l y. n e t /re p

Women in Ministry AN INTERVIEW WITH

ROBIN BJARNASON OF WESTWOOD CHURCH (PRINCE GEORGE , BC)

W H AT I S YO U R R O L E AT W E S T W O O D C H U R C H ?

Five years ago, I was hired to focus on congregational care and seniors. And then COVID hit, and the priorities needed to change. A large part of what I do now is leadership discernment and development. I lead baptism and membership classes, I counsel people and preach about four times a year. And I take care of the front-of-house Sunday morning stuff. H OW D I D G O D C A LL YO U I NTO M I N I S TRY ?

Well, I understand ministry as my whole person in all parts of my life. God has been trying to get me to pay attention to him all of my life! But in terms of working in the church and on staff, when I hit 50 and our third child was finishing high school, I was looking around to see what’s next. Back in the late ’80s while working for InterVarsity, I took a couple of courses at Regent College. I really loved those—just show me a list of courses at a seminary, and I can’t wait to get started! (Maybe not the Greek…I left the Greek behind!) Basically, I just love learning about God’s purposes for the church. What is true, what is right, what is good? What is leadership? All these things just make my heart beat. So I started thinking and praying about going to seminary. I didn’t know what ministry might look like — just the fact that it was possible for me. I took it a step at a time. I didn’t say, “I want to work in x role at x church.” It was more like, this is what I’m passionate about. My heart is for God’s church, I believe in the local church. I just had open hands and said to the Lord, “I’m going to take the next step.” My husband was totally supportive, my friends were very encouraging. When I prayed about it, I just felt like, “Do the next step. Do the next thing in front of you.” And then one thing led to another thing.

Robin and her husband

W H AT A R E YO U PA S S I O N AT E A B O U T W I T H I N YO U R M I N I S T R Y ?

31 years and have three

My passion is helping people let themselves be formed by the Lord, even in the midst of difficulty, disappointment, suffering. To help people shift from the way of thinking which is: life is good when those bad things I just described are not happening. But rather, to see that [suffering] is actually the crucible in which the Lord wants to meet us. Of course, sometimes it’s really sad and hard. But I’m very grateful when I get the honour of helping people discern what it looks like to walk with Jesus when they are in great difficulty, in suffering. H OW D O P EO P LE R E S P O N D TO YO U A S A WO M A N LE A D E R?

Well, I was pretty nervous about that at the beginning. But I was much more worried than I needed to be. [Westwood Church] had already really delved into the topic and I had 28

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Richard have been married adult children.

already been an elder, so people were used to me as a leader, although this was certainly a different role. There have been some times where I have purposely pulled the reins back a little bit on my style, just to help people be a little bit more at ease. If there’s a man who I’m with, and I sense that he’s feeling a bit [uneasy], then I try to be a little bit more gentle for his sake. Louise Sinclair-Peters (Muliply’s Regional Leader for Myanmar and Central Thailand) has been an inspiration to me personally. She preaches, she disciples, she prays, she just seizes the day with all of who God has made her to be! I talked to her personally while I was still in seminary, and she said that [being a woman in leadership] hasn’t really been a big deal. She encouraged me to pay attention to where God is leading, and go where he’s leading me. But actually, the only place that it has really been a challenge is outside of Westwood. Obviously there are believers in my city who hold a complementarian view. I respect their view. Or when I have gone to MB conventions, [people] always turn to my husband and ask him, “So what church do you pastor?” There have been a few younger male pastors who look quite uncomfortable when they find out my role, and don’t continue conversation. I understand. With some of the older pastors, there’s no issue. There are a few women pastors in BC who have a variety of roles, who I sometimes get to connect with. But I think being a woman in ministry would probably be harder if I was 30. As someone in her late-50s, I’m more settled in who I am. And I hope I’m a little bit less self-conscious. I feel very accepted as a person and as a woman by my fellow pastors and by the congregation. If there are people in my congregation who don’t think that I should be pastoring because I am a woman, they haven’t told me!

work,” I know that my church would absolutely go for it. It would be wonderful if that was the norm! Also, if the local church sees gifting in somebody and the kind of character that they want to have in leadership, find out if they—male or female—need some money to help pay for schooling. Not just a few hundred dollars. For me, I did not need financial help. But let gifted leaders know you will help make it accessible. H OW WO U LD YO U LI K E TO E N CO U R AG E OTH E R WO M E N W H O FEEL GOD’S CALL TO LEADERSHIP AND MINISTRY?

Don’t be afraid that God won’t provide a space for you. Because if you’re called, he will provide a space for you. Concentrate more on who God wants to make you as a person, be responsive to him and how he wants to form you. And let the position part take care of itself. The other thing I would say is, go for it! Test the waters! Find a way to get to school for a year and meet some other people. Have an adventure, see where it leads, have open hands. In the end you’ll forget about how much it costs! H O W D O YO U E X P E R I E N C E R E N E WA L A N D R E S T O R AT I O N A M I D S T T H E C H A O S T H AT L I F E I N M I N I S T R Y C A N B R I N G ?

I actually had to take a couple of months off last winter because the care issues in my own family and extended family were so heavy, and there were some habits that I didn’t have in place. I was absolutely cared-out. So I took a break. And in that time, I made two changes that have been super helpful for me. Way back, I used to be a swimmer. I now swim three times a week, in the middle of the day, which helps me to pause. The water sounds good and it feels good—it’s really good for me in many, many ways. The other change I made is to meet with a spiritual director every month for an hour. She helps me pay attention to where God is at work. And she helps me pay attention to where I’m responsive to him, and where I resist him. Those times are just so helpful for my own growth in the Lord and life in the Lord. H O W C A N W E P R AY F O R YO U ?

D O YO U H AV E A N Y I D E A S A B O U T H OW W E A S A MB CONFERENCE COULD SUPPORT WOMEN IN MINISTRY LEADERSHIP?

It’s great for women who are in ministry to have an opportunity to speak out about their experience. Another way would be to support women working together, or facilitating partnerships between churches and relationships between women pastors. For example, I know that if I said to my church leadership, “I would like to go to Williams Lake for a couple of days and shadow [lead pastor] Esther Corbett, and just ask her questions, pick her brain and watch her

That I would keep connected to the Vine. And that I would pray for the needs that are right in front of me. Not to wait until they pile up, but right in the middle of what I’m doing, to stop and remember that the Lord wants to help me, empower me, show me, and help me be still. So that’s what I need—to just stay connected to the Vine, everyday.

ROBIN BJARNASON

is part of the pastoral team at Westwood Church in Prince George, BC. Robin and her husband Richard have attended Westwood Church for 26 years.

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Your year of encouragement Choosing a positive pathway through 2024 BY PHIL GUNTHER

“ BY ALL THIS WE ARE ENCOU R AG ED.” 2 CORINTHIANS 7:13

“ EN CO U R AG EM ENT IS OX YG EN TO TH E SO U L .” GEORGE MADISON ADAMS

Happy New Year, friends! My wife Janine turns sixty in 2024. As a way of commemorating the year she told me about her intent to start a special gratitude practice. Janine intends to write out on a small, coloured piece of parchment one truly significant blessing that she receives each week. She will then place it in a special glass container for safe keeping. This vessel was carefully chosen and decorated for this purpose. At the end of the year, with 52 notes in hand, she will read them. This entire practice is intended to be a reminder of God’s goodness. All through the year, and at its end, she will see these notes of blessing and be encouraged. If you’re breathing, you need encouragement. Every child, teen, middle-aged adult, senior, male or female not only truly welcomes encouragement, but absolutely must receive it for their overall wellbeing. Those a lot wiser than me have claimed that encouragement has the following personal benefits:

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inspires ˚ gives hope ˚ restores or bolsters self-confidence ˚ empowers one to keep going ˚ is an ingredient ˚ improves attitudefor success ˚ enhances performance ˚ reduces stress and anxiety ˚ fosters peace in one’s spirit ˚ reminds one they are not alone ˚ reminds one they are supported ˚ reinvigorates trust ˚ changes perspective ˚ squelches negativity ˚ In my upcoming book Hello Again – More Letters

To My Friends I include the following fable with some counsel on the importance of encouragement: “Five frogs were hopping through the woods when two of them fell into a deep hole. The remaining frogs

gathered around the edge of the hole and peered into it. Assessing the situation as dire, they shouted down to the two frogs in the hole, “I’m sorry, but the hole is too deep. You’re trapped and we can’t save you. It’s hopeless!” Initially the trapped frogs ignored the despairing shouts of the others and tried to hop out of the hole with every bit of energy they possessed. The frogs at the top shouted even louder, “Just give up already, it’s too deep.” The two frogs, however, kept trying to bound out of the hole. After some time, one of the two exhausted frogs, hearing all the discouraging sentiments from the frogs at the top and seeing his efforts fail, gave up and soon died. The second trapped frog kept hopping and hopping and hopping until he finally escaped the hole. Amazed at the resolve of their exhausted fellow frog, and despite what they shouted, the three frogs surrounded the escapee with curiosity. To their surprise he panted and said, “Thanks guys. I’m deaf, but I could tell just by looking at you that you were encouraging me the whole time.” Friends, encouragement or lack of it really matters. Sometimes it’s the difference between life and death.” Why not make 2024 your year of encouragement: encouragement for yourself and for others? Certainly, scripture reminds us to be encouraged (“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothes me with joy” [Psalm 31:11]; “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” [Psalm 40:2]) and to be encouragers (“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today…” [Hebrews 3:13a]; “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” [Hebrews 10:25]). In light of the personal benefits for one’s well being and scripture’s counsel, the following are some helpful and creative ideas for you to accomplish making 2024 a year of encouragement.

purchase twelve postcards and twelve postage stamps. Ask your friend if they would be willing to send you a postcard of encouragement once a month for all of 2024. Give your friend complete freedom to choose the kind of postcard and the message’s content. As a bonus, offer to do the same for your friend.

For others…

Once a month mail (yes with an envelope and stamp) a handwritten (correct, with a pen or pencil) note of gratitude to someone who has helped shape you positively into the person you are today. Tell them exactly how their actions or words influenced you. Create a prayer list of twelve people who you know are facing a tough 2024. Every month touch base with one person on this list telling them that you intend to pray for them every day for that month. Ask them if they would be willing to share with you some of their weightiest worries, fears or hopes. Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to be a person of encouragement to strangers, friends, family, co-workers or neighbours. Commit yourself to looking for these opportunities. It may be a random act of kindness, sitting with someone at church who is alone, giving a hug to a coworker who is having a bad day or helping a neighbour shovel snow or rake leaves. Whatever it is, write it down somewhere and at the end of the year read these stories as a way of being encouraged yourself. As disciples of Jesus, we are to be salt and light in our world. As we step into the troubles of 2024—and there are many—can we be salt and light through expressions of encouragement?

For you…

Once a month memorize a new passage of scripture that encourages you. Recite it every day. The next month, repeat. This time though recite both passages, the next month, all three texts, and so on. Here are seven powerful time-tested passages of encouragement to help you get started: Psalm 4:8; 18:2; 34:10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 41:10; 46:4; Zephaniah 3:17. Every month jot down one meaningful quote from an author, athlete, faith leader, etc. which encourages you. Fasten this sentiment to your fridge, bathroom mirror or daily calendar. Read it aloud every morning as you begin your day. Ask a trusted friend to help you out with an encouragement project. Give your friend enough money to

R E V. P H I L I P A G U N T H E R

is director of ministry for the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches

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Finish lines

DIETRICH REMPEL

Dietrich was born a month after his 3-year-old brother Frank died. His mother nearly hemorrhaged to death from grief and his 10 lb. delivery. Over the next 8 years, another Frank was born and died, and two more brothers were born before the German army’s arrival. The last Frank was born 2 weeks after the family arrived in South Poland. Frank and their mother were rescued from death by an imprisoned Jewish doctor. Not even bedbugs could dampen Dietrich’s adventurous explorations. A 1944 relocation from Katscher to Ratibor resulted in many new experiences, including daily de-lousing. In December 1944, their father was “enlisted” to supply the German army in Czechoslovakia with provisions. In January 1945, the family fled west across the Oder River in open horse-drawn wagons in -40 Celcius, with Frank suffering double pneumonia. The U.S. army office disallowed their deportation to Siberia, an answer to older sister Helen’s night-long prayers. Dietrich’s father, imprisoned at Auschwitz since May, was released in September 1945. His mother’s heart attack was not fatal. July 1, 1949, Dietrich’s family sailed on the S.S. Samaria to Canada, arriving in Quebec City July 10 and in Chilliwack, B.C., in time for raspberry and hop picking. Deitrich graduated high school in 1955; attended normal school 1955–56; taught in Abbotsford 1956–57; and married Dorothy in June 1957. The couple moved to Kitimat, B.C., for 2 years of teaching. They welcomed Ken, Pearl, and Jolene in Chilliwack, and Linda in Kansas. After a 1962 UBC Bachelor of Arts, it was off to Elkhart, Ind., for a Bachelor of Divinity and MDiv; then to Inman, Kan., for pastoral ministry in Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church. In 1972, West Abbotsford Mennonite Church called them; they stayed 10 years. A 3-year conference minister term was followed by a 10-year ministry at Eden Mennonite Church, Chilliwack – the church where Dietrich and Dorothy had been baptized in 1954 and 1952. In 1995, they said “Yes” to serving in Aussiedler ministry in Berlin, Germany. Dietrich had a radical gastrectomy in 1997. A 12-year, part-time chaplaincy at Tabor Home, Abbotsford, closed their formal ministry in 2015. Dietrich and Dorothy enjoyed bookbinding and care group blessings. They belonged to Bakerview Church for 17 years and Clearbrook MB Church for the last 14 months. With patience and love, Dietrich was Dorothy’s primary caregiver through Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Dorothy died with Dietrich lovingly playing the harmonica at her side. Dietrich’s back pain increased over his last 6 months. April 19, he was diagnosed with advanced stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In hospital and hospice, Dietrich made friends and a deep impression on staff and fellow patients. Birth: April 11, 1935 Birthplace: Osterwick, Ukraine Death: May 15, 2023 Married: Dorothy, June 1957 [d. Aug. 23, 2022] Family: children Ken [d. 1980], Pearl Unger, Jolene Taylor, Linda Dalian; son-in-law John Loewen [d. 1992]; 8 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren Church: Bakerview, Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C.

MYRL LOIS JANE DRIEDGER

Myrl attended school in Waldheim, Sask., aside from 2 winters in California and one in Surrey, B.C. She attended Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask., for 3 years and obtained a teacher’s certificate in Saskatoon. Myrl taught Grade 2 in Waldheim for a year prior to marrying Mervin Driedger, June 30, 1959. They both taught one year in Hepburn, and then moved to Saskatoon. Myrl taught at Mayfair School, prior to welcoming their first son, Kevin, in July 1961. Following a brief time teaching in Meadow Lake, Sask., Mervin and Myrl, with their one-year-old, joined The Evangelical Alliance Mission, and moved to Chironga, a bush mission station in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where they spent 5 years teaching at a teacher training school. Myrl was 7 months pregnant when they arrived. There she gave birth to Brian, Janine, and Wayne. They returned to Canada in 1968 and, after 2 years in Dalmeny, Sask., having added Bonnie to the family, Merv and Myrl returned to Zimbabwe with their 5 children, and spent 1970–76 at Evangelical Bible College in Chinhoyi. In 1976, Merv and Myrl settled in Dalmeny, Sask., where Myrl faithfully served her family, church, and community. Zimbabwe continued to draw them back; they returned for a visit in 1983, and longer stays in Chinhoyi (1984–85) and Mvurwi (1991–92, 1996–97). In 2008, Myrl and Mervin moved to Abbotsford, B.C., to be closer to family. In retirement, they went on multiple short-term mission trips to Brazil, Paraguay, Ukraine, Lithuania, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Myrl played piano, sang countless solos, joined the Bakerview choir and attended concerts in the area. Myrl was devoted to her family, patiently taking them to music lessons, reading to them, sewing for them, and cooking for them and their friends. She attended her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s concerts, recitals, plays, and sporting events. In August 2019, when Myrl was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she took the news in stride. Thanks to a new treatment regimen, Myrl was able to have a bonus 4 years with her family. She walked those years with courage and grace, trusting in the Lord to whom she had committed her life to so many years before. Birth: July 6, 1936 Birthplace: Waldheim, Sask. Death: November 21, 2023 Parents: Lawrence & Anne Neufeld Married: Mervin Driedger, June 30, 1959 Family: Mervin; children Kevin (Liz), Brian (Michele), Janine (Dean), Wayne (Susanne), Bonnie (Jeff); 19 grandchildren; 10 greatgrandchildren; siblings Deanna (Jim) Peters, Wendel (Penny) Neufeld Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C.

O B I T U A R I E S H AV E L O N G B E E N A VA L U E D PA R T O F T H E M B H ER ALD. CLI CK H E R E TO S U B M IT A N O B ITUA RY

A moment in time

WINKLER , MANITOBA 1994

Roland Marsch speaking at the 85th Manitoba MB Conference convention held at the Winkler MB Church February 25-26, 1994. Courtesy of the Mennonite Archival Information Database

THE CHURCH AND AI: DEVELOPING A THEOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY

S U B S C R I B E T O M B H E R A L D D I G E S T W W W. M B H E R A L D . C O M / S U B S C R I B E -V I A - E M A I L