Sunday morning at the beginning of worship, I lit our peace lamp and then I lit four white candles: for Paris, Beirut, Aleppo, and Baghdad. I almost skipped the candle-lighting altogether because I couldn’t figure out how many candles to light. Beirut and Paris, of course. Those were horrific terrorist attacks among people who don’t…
The following reflection is excerpted from my sermon on 2 Kings 4:8-37. In today’s scripture reading, Elisha is referred to as a “man of God” eight times—that’s twice as often as he is referred to by name. I will admit that I’m not quite as convinced as the Shunammite woman that Elisha is…
Friends, I’ve re-started my blog on Huffington Post. That space will host a (hopefully) regular humor column, while I will continue to post worship pieces, biblical reflections, theological ponderings, and denominational rants here at Spacious Faith. Thanks for reading!
1 Kings 17:17-24 This is the first resurrection story in the Bible. Amidst all the miracles of the Hebrew scriptures–creation and the flood and the plagues and the red sea parting and the water in the wilderness—here in 1 Kings 17 is the first time we ever read of God making someone who is dead…
A friend of mine recently posed this question on Facebook: Junior high girls braiding each other’s hair in church: appropriate or not? Considering this friend has never been a Jr. High girl nor parented a Jr. High girl, the question seemed sincere and did not bother me. What did bother me, however, was the frequency…
I am going to die some day. That day is probably not tomorrow. Reading takes more energy than watching Netflix. I can almost forget I am sick if I am talking to someone. (Or: Just in case you were wondering, yes, I am an extrovert.) I know Renee Zellweger has lots of issues. And I…
Below is an excerpt from the sermon I preached last Sunday on the “I am” sayings in the Gospel of John. You can read the full text here. – – – – – – One of the most popular and–at least for some of us–uncomfortable “I am” sayings is from John 14:6: “I am the…
Our biannual national Mennonite Church USA convention begins on Tuesday, and there are two resolutions coming before the delegates that highlight disagreements about how our denomination should include LGBTQ people. The resolutions are fairly new, but the disagreements themselves are not. Many Mennonites, myself included, have spent a lot of time hashing out the details…
By Mark Rupp “[Jesus] has called us to find our blessing in making peace and seeking justice.” The Mennonite Church’s peace stance is likely the first thing people think of when trying to articulate what makes Mennonite faith distinct from other Christian denominations. In fact, the Mennonite emphasis on peace and justice are what initially…
Or How to Survive the Kansas City Convention: Attend the “Bound Together, Together Free” worship service: Tuesday, June 30, at 5 p.m. Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral. (Next to the Convention Center.) Offer prayers of thanksgiving that there will (finally) be a (convention-authorized) booth for Brethren Mennonite Council in the main convention hall. Go to…
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