The Marketplace Magazine March/April 2023

Reflections for men

By Steve Thomas & Don Neufeld (Herald Press, 2023, 256 pages, $18.99 US)

With Living that Matters, Thomas and Neufeld make an important contribution to spiritual reflection for Christian men. They come well qualified for the task. Thomas is a long-time pastor, arborist, and US coordinator for the Mennonite Men group. Neufeld is a social worker who works primarily with men and is the Canadian coordinator for Mennonite Men.

Mennonite Men is a bi-national organization of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. Its mission is to engage men to grow, give and serve as followers of Jesus.

Living that Matters is described by the authors as a guidebook for men searching for identity and meaning. The book is far more accessible and broadly relevant than Peaceful at Heart — Anabaptist Reflections on healthy masculinity, the 2019 collection of essays they co-edited.

Living that Matters is divided into seven sections exploring a broad range of themes: male formation, human needs, personal challenges, sexual wholeness, social practices, conflict tools, and life roles.

Each section contains between five and a dozen two-page reflections on topics related to the theme, followed by questions for further contemplation.

The scope of ideas introduced makes this work ambitious in its breadth, at times at the expense of depth. The material’s staccato delivery makes the book easier to absorb in shorter reads over time rather than cover to-cover in several longer readings.

Still, Living that Matters provides valuable jumping-off points for small-group study or any men wanting to understand themselves and pathways to inner growth better. Worth buying, reading and returning to. – MS