Life Togethersjmc.on.ca/newsletters/LT_Fall2015_Web.pdf · () for resources for this article compilation. k R ight now there is an urgent need to assist refugees caught up in the

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Aerial view (ca. June 1948) of St. Jacobs Mennonite Church, King Street, St. Jacobs, Ontario. The long horse sheds at rear of propertywere dismantled around the time of the 1949 church addition. Credit: David L Hunsberger photo; courtesy of Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

Thank-You To:

ST. JacobS PrinTerY- and -

karen Sauder (SJMc) - diSTribuTion

ediTorial TeaM

Vaughn bender - ediTorMarcia ShanTz - coordinaTion & ediTing

larrY ShanTz - laYouT & PhoTograPhY

SJMC - 2 Visit the st. Jacobs Mennonite church website - www.sJMc.on.ca

Contributing Writers Life Together ... our newsletter since 1979.(Formerly The Beacon est. 1967 and

Keystone Literary Society newspaper prior).

the SJMC Red BRiCk hiStoRy:CiRCa 1915 - PageS 6-72015: St. Jacobs Mennonite Church Celebrating 100 Years in the Village!by Trevor Bauman, SJMC Historian

MiSSionS FaCilitation - Page 4How can we respond to the Syria and Iraq crisis?by Doris Bean

getting to know ... - PageS 12-13A Visit With the Klassen familyby Doris Kramer

PaStoR’S Pen - Page 16Mennonite World Conference:Theme - “Walking With God”by Wendy Janzen

ReFleCtionS - Page 11 & 13Mennonite World Conference:Our Family’s Experience(by Rebecca Seiling, Zoe, Eden and Derek Suderman)

ChRiStian FoRMation MiniStRy-Page 3Reading Fictionby Kevin Derksen “Sing to the Lord of harvest”(HWB #98)

by Marcia B. Shantz, Life Together (Photo: Stooks of wheat by Hawkesville.)

thankFulneSS - Page 15Mennonite World Conference:Afternoons (by Lorena Diller Harder)Meeting New People & Sessions(by Laura Moolenbeek)

ChildRen’S Challenge

Page 5- and -liFe and tiMeS Page 10

PeaCeMaking PondeRingS - Page 14Mennonite World Conference:Worship (by Nathan Diller Harder)Music (by Leah Bauman)

Welcome to this Thanksgiving edition of Life Together. It’s a humbling experience when you get to this point in the newsletter

production and see “the harvest”: the planning, the planting, the fruits of all labours. My sincerest appreciation of thankfulness to everyone for sharing!

This edition also includes many reflections from just some of the 14 SJMCers who attended Mennonite World Conference (MWC) this July. To me our various LT column headings each applied, so I used them all: Reflections, Peacemaking Ponderings and Thankfulness. And in case you thought you missed the Pastor’s Pen column, usually positioned right next door here on page 3, not to worry. I guess you could say Wendy gets the last word this time on the back cover. I felt her photo of the mass worship service at MWC needed to be highlighted in colour for its magnitude in all that the photo represents.

For the postlude in the September 20th worship service, pianist Doris Pfohl played a beautiful hymn. I contacted her to ask the title: “Like a mother who has bourne us”. (STJ #91 - Music: William P. Rowan; Text: Daniel Bechtel.) When I sat down to play it on my piano I was drawn into the text. My eyes rested upon verse 4. How fitting a verse for the conclusion of an inspiring message on “Witnesses”. It is also a very fitting verse encapsulating this entire LT edition. We have much to be thankful for, and we are also called to share of our lives with others – near and far.

“When we offer food and comfort, grasp our neighbour’s hand in love,tread the path of peace and justice, God still walks with us in life.”

k (Verse 4 - STJ #91 - Text: Daniel Bechtel)

2015 - St. Jacobs Mennonite ChurchCelebrating 100 Years in the Village!

- November 14 and 15, 2015 -Come and celebrate. | Invite others.

Saturday, November 14Intergenerational

Variety Show followed byFirst Course

Potluck Supper &100th Anniversary Cake

* * ***3:30 Arrive with food**4:00 Variety Show**As a courtesy to our Social Committee so they too may enjoy the program, please:- be prompt at 3:30;- bring hot food in slow cookers only. (No ovens.)

Sunday, November 15100th Anniversary

Worship Service/Choir10:00am

Guest Speaker:Sue C. Steiner

(SJMC Pastor 1987-1995)

~ Breads and Spreadsreception to follow. ~

All are welcome tojoin the choir - pass it on!

Details at:www.sjmc.on.ca

Sunday, November 15“Simpler Times:Stories & Songs

for the Soul”2:45 PEI slideshow/

3:00pm program

Program Participants:Peggy Nitsche, Marcia Shantz, Sandy Shantz, Jenny Shantz,

Tamara Awad Lobe,Janet Bauman, Rebecca Seiling

* * *- Donations accepted for Woolwich Community

Services -

SJMC - 3“The Works Are Thine o ChrisT, our Lord”Life TogeTher - fALL 2015

Christian Formation Ministry“... making a case for fiction as a healthy part of – well –

Christian formation.”

Reading Fictionby Kevin Derksen, Pastoral Resource to CFM - along with Janet Bauman, Doreen Janzen, Karen Snyder, Paul Stephens, and Chairperson (vacant).

Early in the summer we had some friends over to our place for a barbeque. As we were visiting together, one of these friends asked me what I was reading these days. I fumbled

around for a bit, and realized that I really didn’t have anything on the go, and no plans for what to read next.

I don’t know about you, but every once in a while I forget about reading books. When that happens, I will often find myself at a loss during the (admittedly few) moments of freedom and quiet that comes in the day. I’ll watch TV, or stare unnecessarily at the computer, or putter around with some more-or-less trivial household project. I feel much better about myself, and about my life, when I have a book on the go!

Now, as a pastor there are all kinds of things that I ought to be reading. Keeping up with church periodicals and resources is important, as is the newspaper and other current affairs magazines. And I have a pretty good collection of theology books, commentaries and ministry-related volumes – many of which I still have yet to get to.

But when I talk about having a book on the go, it’s fiction that I have in mind. That’s what I read at home in those few moments of quiet.

Part of the value, for me, is certainly in entertainment and relaxation. It feels good to have another world to disappear into from time to time. But I also read fiction because I think it’s good for me. I think it’s good for my work, for my soul and for my faith.

So, here in this Christian Formation column, I want to make a case for fiction as a healthy part of – well – Christian formation.

For me, the main reason that literature can be so valuable is exactly because it tells stories.

Stories communicate in a different way from other kinds of writing or teaching. They tend to be more open-ended and suggestive. They don’t just present an idea, but actually let that

idea play itself out in the context of people’s lives. This can make it a little harder to figure out what we might “learn” or “take away” from a story, but it also creates the opportunity to be shaped at a deeper level.

After all, faith formation isn’t just about receiving a set of truths, but about discovering God in the context of our own lives. Stories invite us to do this in a unique way.

I have certainly found this to be true of literature that intentionally deals with Christian themes and experiences. The most authentic and compelling theology often takes the form of story.

But I think that other literature without obvious connections to matters of faith can be valuable as well.

Stories explore different parts of our human experience. They get us asking questions and wondering about things. They expand our imaginations and the scope of our vision. They make us more interesting people – and in my case, maybe also a more interesting preacher!

But maybe the best reason of all for reading and listening to stories is because God is an author.

God put pen to paper in the beginning, and started writing a story that still has not reached its end. God created characters who have continued to develop and find their way in the world – sometimes in awful and sometimes in beautiful ways.

God lets these characters become who they are, choosing to enter the story as a character himself in order to fashion a conclusion filled with hope and redemption.

As we read stories of whatever kind, we experience a little taste of that dance between author and creation.

After that summer barbecue, I quickly went out and made sure I had a few good books in line and ready to go. If you ask me what I’m reading now, I’ll know better what to say!

k

Curious about some good reads from the perspective of Christian Formation? Here are a few recommends from some of the members of our ministry:

• Behind the Beautiful Forevers - Katherine Boo• The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom• Stolen Life - Rudy Wiebe• Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis• Gilead, Home, Lila - trilogy by Marilynne Robinson• Jayber Crow - Wendell Berry• The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky

SJMC - 4 “The Works Are Thine o ChrisT, our Lord” Life TogeTher - fALL 2015

Thanks to the Mennonite Central Committee Canada website (www.mcccanada.ca) for resources for this article compilation.

k

Right now there is an urgent need to assist refugees caught up in the Syria and Iraq crisis.

Leave or to stay?This is the question that Syrian and Iraqi families must answer as

the conflict continues to rage around them.

While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of people in need, there are four ways you can make a difference:

#1 - Donate funds assisting 27 projects including:• providing food and rent assistance• providing relief and hygiene kits• clothing and kitchen supplies• supporting peacebuilding work• education for displaced children• trauma healing• providing supplies to keep people warm in winter’s coming.

Please Note: Our Canadian government is matching donations from September 12 to December 31, 2015.

#2 - How can you (and our church) sponsor refugees to come to Canada?

Visit the link below for details about how you can assist with sponsoring refugees.

www.mcccanada.ca/learn/what/refugees/sponsorship

#3 - Advocate for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and for a solution to the refugee crisis.

During our election - ask all your candidates how they will address these issues. For a list of questions prepared by the MCC Ottawa office, visit this website:

www.mcccanada.ca/learn/what/relief/syria

#4 - Pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and for the millions of displaced people caught in the violence.

Lord Jesus Christ, we remember that in your infancy you were a refugee. The political leaders of your country sought to end your life as an infant. Your parents took you to another country in secret. We don’t know, dear Lord, how long you had to stay there.

... pause in quiet reflection.

Help us, O Lord, to grow in compassion for those who are displaced from their homes in our day. Help us not to see them only as problems, statistics or threats. Help us to see refugees as fellow humans who have been forced to flee their homes.


O God, we know refugees and displaced persons must make excruciating decisions, and we ask for your mercy upon them. We ask for mercy for parents who take children from their homes. Mercy for children who leave parents too weak to travel. Mercy for those who choose to stay for whatever reasons and who live with severe consequences for those choices. We ask for mercy for those whose housing is inadequate – cold in winter, hot in summer, insufficient for privacy or hygiene or satisfaction. Have mercy on your children who have left their homes, O Lord.


O God, we know – sometimes too well – the causes of displacement and migration. We pray for the situations that have led to the refugee crises in our world. We pray for those who promote extremist ideologies, that they would change their ways and not choose violence. We pray for repressive regimes, that they would seek to engage people in building freedom. We pray for human smugglers and traffickers who prey upon those who have fled their homes, that they may stop victimizing the fearful and vulnerable.


Help us O Lord, to be compassionate and to know how we can help those who have been displaced. Help us to know when it is time of humanitarian relief, when it is time for resettlement, and when advocacy for peace and change is what is needed most. Give us courage and strength to be people of compassion and justice in the face of complex and overwhelming demands.

We know that you love all people, dear Lord. Help us to be the instruments of your love and peace in the world. Amen.


k

Missions Facilitation ... keeping our call to be a people of Missions.

How can we respond to the Syria and Iraq crisis?by Doris Bean, Missions Facilitation Ministry Leader


One Rambling Riddle: “I live close to an old, neglected apple orchard that my maternal great-grandfather started from seeds in 1906. This orchard is now surrounded by soccer fields, baseball diamonds and walking trails. Now I love bringing my mother fresh applesauce made with apples from these same trees that her grandfather planted, six years before she was born.”

Three Thinking Thoughts: (1) Worrying is a waste of time and energy. (2) Welcome each new day and count your blessings. (3) Life is short; lend a helping hand to those travelling this journey with you.

Five “Foul” Frowns: Impatient people. Bad Bid Eucre hand. Snakes. Shopping carts all jammed together. Mosquitos.

Ten Telling Tales: Family times at a cottage. Travel. Reading. Hiking. BBQs. Time spent with friends. Being part of an SJMC Connections small group. Old photos. History. Cooking.

God’s Gospel Guidance: (Psalm 34:8) “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”

Collectively speaking, our view when‘looking through the glass’ truly is a ‘wonderland’!

Children’s Challenge: Who Are We Now?We were once children like you! Can you guess who we are?

One Rambling Riddle: “For our 65 years of marriage, I was four years younger than my husband. Now I am one year older than he was when he died at age 93.”

Three Thinking Thoughts: (1) There is always good with the bad. (2) If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. (3) Take a daily walk for exercise.

Five “Foul” Frowns: Other than a weedy garden, I try to appreciate the many things in life.

Ten Telling Tales: Travels to Australia, Strasbourg, Vancouver. Quilter. Church logo wall hanging appliquer/quilter. My stone farm home. Buster - our Saint Bernard farm dog. My flower and vegetable gardens. Husband was the manager of the Visitor Centre in St. Jacobs (now the Mennonite Story). Met Canadian Governer General Edward Schreyer. Fabric scraps recycler. I’m part of a ‘trio’ of daily Scrabble players.

God’s Gospel Guidance: (Psalm 23) “The Lord is my shepherd.”

One Rambling Riddle: “Floods we used to have in St. Jacobs, by our first house, are no more because the Conestoga Dam was built.”

Three Thinking Thoughts: (1) That’s a good excuse to call. (2) There’s always lots to share.(3) Keeping things “on hand”.

Five “Foul” Frowns: Women wearing jeans. Wearing black. Motion sickness. Green beans.

Ten Telling Tales: Large garden (freezing/canning). Embroiderer. 7 children. Corn doll heads. Flower lady. “Well!” Great-granddaughter has the same name. A daughter lives in Australia. Had a trailer at Sunnybreeze, Florida.

God’s Gospel Guidance: (Proverbs 11:25) “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

Summer 2015 Answers: Same name/different spellings: Erma (Metzger) Baker. Erma (Snyder) Horst. Irma (Baechler) Buehler.

It is the girl in this photo that is part of this Children’s Challenge.


the SJMC Red Brick History (circa 1915)

2015: A special milestone year at St. Jacobs Mennonite Churchby Trevor Bauman, SJMC Historian - This is the fourth in a series of five articles about the 100th anniversary of the ‘red brick’ SJMC.

The year was 1915 and the week of November 15th. What was happening 100 years ago in our

region? Let’s scan the “One Cent” headlines of the Daily Telegraph from Berlin, Ontario (now Kitchener) and the weekly Chronicle

Telegraph from Waterloo, Ontario to find out. Note: Our SJMC ‘red brick’ building was dedicated on November 14, 1915.

'Call it snake oil. Call it cutting edge medicine. The papers had advertisements and even articles for all that ailed you!w

'World War I was well underway. Already in WWI, Winston Churchill was a stoic Brit!Loyalty to the war effort was vital. As in any war, civilians, too, paid a heavy price.w


the SJMC Red Brick History (circa 1915)(2015: A special milestone year at St. Jacobs Mennonite Church - continued from page 10)

'Jobs for men ... and jobs for women ... and with that money ... real estate to buy!w

'And you thought Amazon invented “online” shopping.w

'Things were happening right here in the village of St. Jacobs.w

'Not sure about this one.Did men have no moral compass?w

'And, as always ...w

'Kitchener Public Library’s Grace Schmidt Room (GSR) of Local History has all the local newspapers on microfiche film. You can view them for free, and you can easily export whatever pages or articles you like into an Adobe file and send them home right there at the library. That’s how I created this article. It’s worth the trip. Call the library in advance for an appointment: Phone: 519-743-0271, ext. 252.

SJMC Snaps

We have a little “catch up” to do in the SNAPS department. Let’s start at the very beginning:January 2015: (1) Andrew, Karen, Samantha and James Suderman visited from South Africa and shared about their peace work with ANiSA (Anabaptist Network in South Africa). (2) Teen Challenge choir from London, ON. (3) Youth/Mentor fondue. (4) Karen Sauder/SJMC Office Administrator celebrates her 60th BD at Prayer Shawl knitting. February: (5) SJMC Winter Retreat at Silver Lake. (6) Community Pancake Tuesday. (7) House of Friendship Potato Blitz at Foodland in Elmira. (8) SJMC Annual Meeting - this ‘by chance’ photo taken during the “apple schnitz” refreshment break is the essence of our journey together. March: (9) Milestone Ministry (age 18) prayer shawls (L-R): Emma Bender, Courtney Brubacher, Steven Ens, Nicholas Koehler.(10) Doreen Janzen, Calvin Martin making Laotian spring rolls /w Grace Lao friends for the MWC fundraising meal. April: (11) Maundy Thursday dramatic presentation. (12) Social Committee colouring Easter eggs for the Community Easter Sunrise Service Breakfast, hosted at SJMC this year. (13) A “Woolwich Gothic” pose with Linda & Chuck Kruger cleaning up from #10 meal.

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SJMC Snaps

April continued: (1) SJMC Men’s Bowling League. (2) Parent/Child Dedication - Abigail and Hope Margaret Johnson. May: (3) Membership Sunday (L-R) Stewart & Gail Snider, Melodie & Zac Klassen and Angela & Nathan Garland. (4) Missions Sunday - children made these puppets from repurposed socks from the thrift store. (5) Oscar Weber and Stewart Sauder organizing the SJMC Menno Homes bike team and sponsorships. (6) Pastor Lloyd Oakey from Calvary Church Ayr (K-W Perimeter Cluster Pulpit Exchange). June: (7) “Under Construction” summer worship theme - figuratively and literally. (8) SJMC summer renovations commenced. (9) Thanks to the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre for our summer worship space. (10) David Brown was installed as our summer student pastoral intern. (11) SJMC/GLMC Outdoor Worship Service/Picnic - ‘building an alternative community to the mono-culture, single language vision of the Tower of Babel.’(12) MYF Car Wash fundraiser for MWC ... and why not a bike too?! (13) Women’s Salad Supper (in April) with guest speaker, Bonnie Simonato (“Joyologist”).

Look for Quilts for the World, Church Camping and VBS in Winter/December edition of LT.

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Life and Times

Carly Annis (21) – 1st Childhood Home: Listowel, ON. Now: Toronto, ON.Linda (Eby) Kruger (57) – 1st Childhood Home: Waterloo, ON Now: St. Jacobs, ON.Micah Diller Harder (19) – 1st Childhood Home: Kitchener, ON. Now: Kitchener, ON.Nadia Clemmer (5) – 1st Childhood Home: St. Jacobs, ON. Now: St. Jacobs, ON.

what aRe SoMe oF youR FavouRite SMellS/SoundS/taSteS?Carly: Muffin smell! Nachos, poutine. Kale. Indian food. Herbal tea. Choc.chip pancakes. Classical music. Grilled cheese. Thun-storms.Linda: Coffee. Children’s voices/laughter. Fresh fruit. Campfires. Many music genres. Fish. Fresh baked bread. Waves. Ethnic foods.Micah: Tastes: Springrolls. Iced tea. Fish. Smells: Springrolls. Cedar. Campfires. Sounds: Thunderstorms. Crashing Waves. Campfires.Nadia: Smell of cookies baking. Sound of birds chirping, but ‘not’ the train! Taste of whipped cream and ice cream.

thingS you Might not know aBout Me?

what aRe SoMe notaBle PeRSonality tRaitS that otheRS would Say you have?

what aRe SoMe oF youR inteReStS?

what aRe SoMe oF youR FavouRite liFetiMe MeMoRieS?

what aRe you PReSently doing? / and what otheR voCation(S) Might you have ChoSen (oR Still would ChooSe)?

what aRe SoMe PlaCeS wheRe you like to Play and/oR PondeR?

what aRe SoMe iteMS on youR … “to do in My liFetiMe” liSt?

Carly: I want to be a lawyer! I’m a movie buff. I’m obsessed with studying social justice. I love birds, especially cockatiels!Linda: Work at House of Friendship since 1988. I’m a “double Eby” (Milton & Agnes). Elem., Special Ed. & ESL teacher. 43 first cousins!Micah: I am a certified lifeguard. I am a massive NFL fan - go Jets! I am also a big Calgary Flames fan. I love standup comedy.Nadia: Can ride a two-wheel bike. Can put my brother to bed. Can make a salad from my own garden. Have a fish named Tuna Melt.

Carly: Bubbly. Loud. Funny. Intellectual. Sneaky. Effervescent. Outgoing. Princess-like.Linda: Compassionate. Fun loving. Generous. Organized. Conscientious. Good listener. Front/back seat driver. Helpful. Over-thinker.Micah: Funny. Responsible. Intelligent. Kind. Respectful. Loyal friend.Nadia: Insightful. Observant. Detailed. Creative. Responsible. Sensitive. Caring. Hospitable.

Carly: Music. Singing. Travelling. Movies. Volunteer with adults with disabilities. Reading. Swimming. Hiking.Linda: Spending time with family. Spending time with children. Music and theatre. Travelling. Outdoors: hiking, gardening. Pilates.Micah: Swimming. Camping. Reading. Following the NHL (hockey) and NFL (football).Nadia: Arts and crafts. Swimming. Parks. The kitchen. Writing.

Carly: Buying Minnie Mouse at Disneyland. Greece (age 10). Aunts/girl cousins Caribbean cruise. Time /w my beautiful mom/sisters.Linda: Family times as a child & adult. Marriage to Chuck. Nathan, Daniel & Matthew births. Time /w H of F participants and staff.Micah: Summer camp. Going on family trips. Camping.Nadia: Waking up and going downstairs to a baby brother on my couch! Vacations to Hawaii and the mountains.

Carly: U of T (4th year) - Political Science, Religion and Women and Gender Studies. / Attend law school; human rights lawyer.Linda: Community Resource Coordinator at Sunnydale Community Centre (Waterloo); a House of Friendship Family Services program.Micah: UWaterloo student - Faculty of Science (Biology). Presently working co-op term at Warren Park Outdoor Ed. Centre (Toronto).Nadia: Senior kindergarten at St. Jacobs Public School. / Become a mom and a teacher.

Carly: Algonquin Park, nature. Oma & Opa’s cottage. Downtown Toronto. Newfoundland. Beach, lake. Home with the family.Linda: By the fireplace. In/by water. In our back yard. On a walk in the woods. On a drive. At church.Micah: Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. By a body of water. By a campfire.Nadia: Play with cousins and neighbours. Ponder in my bed. Play outdoors.

Carly: Become a lawyer. Work in a NGO. Have a family. Backpack Europe. Visit every continent. Become bilingual.Linda: Alaska, Scotland/England. Volunteer /w special care nursery; newcomers. Piece quilts. Grandmother. Learn more culinary skill.Micah: Graduate univ. Get a job that I love. Learn SCUBA/dive Great Barrier Reef. Go to a Super Bowl. Go to a Stanley Cup final game.Nadia: Being in a magazine and got Marcia’s request :-)! Disney World. Cancer cure. Go around the world in one second. Ride a horse.


ReflectionsMaking Connections at Mennonite World Conference:Our Family’s Experienceby Rebecca Seiling, Zoe, Eden and Derek Suderman

... pausing to reflect on where God meets us in our daily lives, including at Mennonite World Conference.

Rebecca’s Reflections:

There are so many things we could share from our MWC experience, like:

Amazing Singing: Each day the amazing singing transported me to a different continent. When we sang African songs, I actually felt like we were in Africa – there was an authenticity to it that is indescribable when you are singing with people from that continent. And back to the music. It really was phenomenal to sing with 7,000 others in one space. Though we come from many different backgrounds, and have different opinions on a wide range of topics, singing together was a tangible sign of unity.

Inspiring Speakers: I could also share about the inspiring speakers who pushed the edges of what it means to be a Mennonite/Christian in today’s world, both in the workshop setting and keynote plenary sessions.

I went to several workshops that were facilitated by members of the Dutch Mennonite Church. I found these very interesting and encouraging. They live in a very secular society, and find ways of being the church in that context. I found their discussions fascinating because, to me, it was like looking at what our Canadian society might become. LGBTQ membership and participation in church life are not even questions for them – it’s something that their churches moved through more than 40 years ago. As well, one Dutch church

decided that a key part of their mission strategy would be working to train congregants and community members in nonviolent communication strategies – an interesting idea for our communities as well.

Workshops: Derek led three workshops over the course of the conference on the topics of Jonah, Lament, and leading dynamic Bible studies.

These were all very well attended – with standing room only at his last workshop (150+ people).

A connecting tie between Mennonite churches in North America and Europe seems to be an interest in authentic, interactive Bible study. People (especially church leaders) are concerned about biblical illiteracy, but don’t seem to know what to do about it. This trend was also reflected in the workshop topics that were available; while about half of the 190 workshops were directly related to peace, reconciliation and social justice, only a dozen or so of the titles were explicitly oriented toward biblical topics or study (Derek offered the only two on OT). Derek’s concern is that in North America we seem less interested today than we used to be in having a biblical basis for the social justice concerns to which we are rightly dedicated.

Connections: But what were most meaningful to me about our time at MWC were the connections. How almost every day I was humming the tune, “It’s a small

world after all” to myself after some crazy chance meeting.

Connection #1: Zoe and Eden were involved in the children’s program, and at the end of the first day I went to get them. When I picked up Eden, she ran over to me and exclaimed, “Guess what, Mom? I made a new friend! She’s from Germany!” and she proceeded to introduce me to Fenja.

“Where are you from, Fenja?” I asked.

“Enkenbach,” she said.

A light went on in my mind…

“Is your mom an American?” I asked. “Yes!” she said.

“Is her name Dora?”

“Yes!” she said again.

My sister Bethany had done a year of the InterMenno trainee program in Enkenbach, where she met an American trainee friend named Dora who went on to marry a man from Enkenbach after her internship. A connection. I snapped this photo (see page 13), sent it to Bethany, and she confirmed it was her friend’s daughter. It’s a small world after all.

Connection #2: That night at supper, Zoe, Eden, and I sat down with a Dutch family. The couple was about our age, and we had a great conversation. When Wieteke saw Zoe and Eden’s nametags, she wondered whether they were related to Jack and Irene Suderman. “Yes, those are their grandparents,” I said. “They visited our guesthouse in the Netherlands last year!” Wieteke said. As we talked, we realized that they also knew my brother Jonathan, and that my parents had also stayed at their guesthouse this past spring. Derek wasn’t yet at the table, but when he came, the woman (Wieteke) immediately recognized his name. “I’ve read your work!” she said. She and Derek share a common passion for the Old Testament, so they ‘talked shop’ for a while.

>>> continued on page 13


As I approached the front door, I was confident that this was the place where the Klassens lived, as

there were two blue children’s Adirondack chairs on the veranda.

The interview started with Jaren, age 6, and Micah, almost 4 years. They were both very articulate and anxious to share their interests. The two seem very compatible and excited about building with Lego. They showed me their creations - cars, a flying machine and a cruise liner with people in it.

Both Jaren William and Micah Rowan were born in Manitoba. This fall Jaren is in Grade 1, and Micah is in Jr. Kindergarten. The boys enjoy books. They recently read a very humorous one that Jaren could hardly tell me about amidst his giggles. Jaren and Micah have learned to skate and they take gymnastics and swimming lessons. They tend tomato, cucumber and bean plants grown in pots in their own garden on the deck. Jaren likes to help clean up and both enjoy helping with jobs around the house. Recently, they washed cucumbers for dill pickles and helped clean up a table and chairs for the deck they’ve acquired.

Melodie Crystal Joy Friesen was born

in 1980 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan to Menno and Barb Friesen. When she was 2-years-old they moved to her paternal grandparents’ farm in Riverton, Manitoba where she spent all her growing up years. Her parents operated a beef cattle ranch where early on, Melodie learned how to work (gardening, canning, baking, cutting grass, tending chickens, making hay, and even assisting in the birthing of calves.) Both sets of grandparents lived nearby.

Melodie’s school years from Grade 1 through Grade 12 were spent in Riverton. She graduated from high school at the head of her class of 19, she said with a chuckle. She learned to play the piano, which we discovered at our August 30 SJMC worship service, and has played volleyball and figure skated. Melodie has an older brother, who lives with her parents; and a younger sister, who lives in Calgary with her husband, son and daughter.

Melodie’s family was always really involved in church. At present, her father is pastor of a Nazarene Church. Melodie speaks highly of her parents’ community mindedness and hospitality. After high school, Melodie entered the University of Alberta in Edmonton thinking she

might pursue a career as a mathematics teacher. After three semesters she decided to move closer to home and attend Bible College at Providence College in Otterburne, Manitoba. She then studied at the University of Manitoba where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Economics. She accepted a position with the provincial government in regional development in the town of Arborg, close to her family, and continued there until 2013.

Things had changed while she was studying in Winnipeg – that’s where she and Zac met.

Zacharie Klassen was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan in 1983 to Willie and Esther Klassen. When Zac was five-years-old, they moved to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. His father is a lumber and steel salesman for Newton Enterprises. Road trips with his father were part of Zac’s growing up years. His mother is a homemaker. His parents now live in Elie, Manitoba. Zac has two older sisters. One lives in Elie with her husband and two daughters; the other lives in Portage La Prairie with her husband, two sons and a daughter. Zac’s activities were mainly social – hanging out with friends and a few sports at school. He really enjoyed electronics, video games and computers. In Grade 10, a death in Zac’s family led him to a period of searching, learning and seeking out the mysteries of God. Zac’s church background began in the Mennonite Brethren denomination. His family left that church and attended a Pentecostal Church, then a Christian Alliance and then, for a time, no church.

After high school, he moved to Winnipeg and found a job working with computers. He lived with his sister and family and together they did a bit of church hunting. They found a Mennonite Brethren church plant named, FaithWorks. After a time, the pastors invited him out for coffee where they encouraged him to join a 3-½ month Mennonite Brethren TREK project in Mali, West Africa. While there he did various activities including teaching. When he returned he began a summer internship at FaithWorks, which was extended for an additional year. In January 2005 he

A Visit With the Klassen Familyby Doris Kramer

Getting To Know . . .“... Kindle in us love’s compassion

so that everyone may see in our fellowship the promise of a new humanity.” (HWB #420)


Getting To Know . . . The Klassen Family - continued from page 12)

began part-time studies in Biblical and Theological studies at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).

While all this was happening for Zac, Melodie was searching for a new church home. She and a few friends learned of FaithWorks and decided to visit that group. They quickly took note of each other and started dating. In six months they were engaged and six months later, on May 22, 2006, were married. After the wedding they lived in Arborg where Melodie continued her job and Zac studied part-time at CMU, commuting to Winnipeg for 3-1/2 years. In 2011 they began attending a different church, The ConneXion, an Evangelical Mennonite Church. It was a group of approximately 40 people served by lay leaders. In 2011, Zac was called to serve as half-time Pastor. Zac’s assigned work was preaching and pastoral visiting.

In the summer of 2013, they sold their

home and moved to Waterloo for Zac to attend Conrad Grebel University College. Shortly after arriving, Melodie started working in Community Services with the Region of Waterloo. In Spring 2015, Zac received his Master of Theological Studies degree from Grebel. His next step is to earn a doctorate in Religious Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton for which he has been granted full funding.

When asked, “What do you do for fun?” Melodie said, “Run after the boys!” They enjoy going to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market where they appreciate all the fresh produce, especially the fruit. They like canning and freezing produce and working together in the kitchen. They’ve done some work projects in the home they just bought. Also, they enjoy the Sunday evening potlucks at SJMC.

They did a bit of church “shopping” before beginning to attend SJMC in March

2014. Zac had attended a class with Pastor Kevin at CMU so there was a connection. They like SJMC services, traditions, and the genuineness of the people and feel it is a good fit for themselves and their boys. They became members on May 31, 2015.

Melodie and Zac, we’re grateful you made this choice. May God bless you in all your endeavors.

Later Wieteke was the keynote speaker one evening, teasing out the story of Jacob as a model for walking in autonomy and community – a story that Derek often uses when he talks about doing Bible study and wrestling with God. It’s a small world after all.

Zoe’s Reflections: I liked singing songs with a lot of different people from around the world. I like that the building smelled like pigs and cows when we walked in every morning. I liked Bruxy Cavey’s sermon

on the last night because he told a funny story and the sermon was meaningful and memorable. “Rock on” was the message – which meant that we were supposed to be more than a rock – rocks don’t hate, but they don’t do anything either. They just sit there. We should be more than rocks. We should show love.

Eden’s Reflections: I liked meeting new friends. It was fun to learn some words in a new language (German) from my new friend, Fenja. I also liked listening to Bruxy Cavey’s sermon. It was so funny.

Derek’s Reflections: I liked the music and hearing speakers from all over the world. That helped to put discussions in North American into a broader context, and made us realize that the issues we struggle with are important, but they’re not the only ones out there. People in other places are struggling with issues that are just as important as ours, and it helps to give us a broader perspective. A daily highlight were the Young Anabaptist speakers in the mornings (all of the sermons are available online). Also, connecting with friends from Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Benin, Guatemala, and Switzerland was wonderful too.

k

We are truly grateful that we had the opportunity to experience the music, messages, and connections that were made at Mennonite World Conference this summer. We’re even dreaming of going to Indonesia in six years! We’ll see… J

Reflections (Mennonite World Conference - continued from page 11)

Repurposed t-shirts and neckties.

Jaren (L) as one of the regal kings, and Micah (R) as one of the inquisitive stable animals in the 2014 Junior Sunday School Christmas play.


Peacemaking Ponderings

Mennonite World Conference: Worship Servicesby Nathan Diller Harder – View assembly worship services at: www.pa2015.mwc-cmm.org/watch-live

... in our daily lives far and near, or in places like, Pennsylvania.

Mennonite World Conference: Musicby Leah Bauman

This summer I had the privilege of attending Mennonite World Conference (MWC) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

from July 21-26.

The conference had many opportunities for learning about peace and pacifism, what it means to be Mennonite, Mennonites across the globe and their cultures, plus a multitude of topics discussed in non-mandatory workshops, like MCC’s SALT (Serving and Learning Together) or artificial intelligence.

But the best place to learn at the conference was during the two-hour long worship services with adults, children and youth. Worship services occurred twice a day for adults in the morning and evening, and once a day for children and youth in the evening. These services started off with an amazing music worship time that changed the type of music each day for each continent. I really loved the Africa Day music.

Following the 30-minute session of music, outside groups, like Lutherans, First Nation people, etc. would speak about Mennonites. Then there would be a speaker that would talk about various topics.

The speaker that I liked the most was the last speaker, Bruxy Cavey, who spoke on Saturday night. Bruxy is the preaching pastor of the Meeting House, a church that has many locations spread

across southern Ontario that meet in movie theatres. (I had the privilege of attending this church for one Sunday as part of MYF where I heard a different Bruxy sermon by video.)

Bruxy (*photo inset) preached that the only way to love God is by loving your neighbour, and he communicated this through some pretty hilarious stories. He ended his sermon by simply saying “Rock on!” (*Jonathon Charles photo, used with permission from MWC.)

We ended the final worship service by singing #118/#606 “Praise God from whom” with over 7,000 people, which was pretty cool!

The space was not a concert hall, the singers were not pop artists, and the songs were not on the American Top 40

list, but it was an experience like no other to be a part of with 7,000 or more Mennonites, all singing together!

Each day had two worship services, which had guest speakers, special music (*photo inset) and of course singing. Each day had a theme based around the five main continents and the cultures there: Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America all brought their own style of music to the stage, and with our international songbooks, everyone was able to sing along.

The beautiful thing was that it didn’t matter if you didn’t know the language or the tune or the words. You could clap and dance along with everybody else or sing your heart out. Even in the space, which was usually home to many farm animals, the music still held its certain energy and power that it always has in a church.

Everything was so Mennonite! While waiting for meals we sang #606 - “Praise God from whom” and “Siyahamba” (We are marching in the light of God) as we stood in line. We played the card game Dutch Blitz at every chance we had. We ate together in close quarters at every meal.

I learned three important lessons from the conference that are widely known, but we often forget:(1) People don’t smile, dance, hug, and cheer in a certain language. (2) There are things worth losing your voice over, and singing is one of them.(3) Despite our different cultures and languages we are all communal pacifists who love to clap and smile and hug. We are all Mennonites and that is a very beautiful thing.

(*Kazutomo Epp photo, used with permission from MWC.)


Mennonite World Conference: Afternoonsby Lorena Diller Harder

Thankfulness ... a four-seasons perspectiveon being thankful.

Mennonite World Conference:Meeting People and Sessionsby Laura Moolenbeek

The afternoons at MWC were definitely a highlight! In the afternoons you had options of sessions, tours, soccer, and

other activities.

Our first afternoon we all donned green spectator shirts and cheered on Leah Bauman as she won her game at the Anabaptist World Cup Soccer Tournament.

For our second day, we headed out on a tour of City Island in Harrisburg. We were dropped off on the island and had a chance to wander for a few hours before heading back. Back at the Conference Centre, there was a lot that you could do. We shopped at Ten Thousand Villages and explored the Global Village, which had a tent set up for each continent, each with their own personality. Along with that, you could put a thumbprint on a 3D version of the MWC logo, which grew more colourful as the week went on.

Our third day we split up and Laura and I did childcare, which gave us a chance to meet children from all over the world.

On our final day we had signed up for a service project, and we all knotted a comforter together. Before our service project

we spent some time in the prayer room, where they had a map and some prayer stations set up, along with prayer shawls and couches. Afterwards we went to the prayer room where we rested until it closed for the conference, and we were given the prayer shawls as we left.

Our afternoons were a small but memorable part of our whole Mennonite World Conference experience.

While at MWC one of the most rewarding experiences I had was

meeting new people, making connections and engaging in discussions.

Being at a M e n n o n i t e conference gave all of us an immediate connection with anyone we met. There were people

from all over the world, specific countries we were able to make connections with included Honduras, Bolivia, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Canada, the US, as well as many more.

There would be occasional times where we ran into a language barrier, but a large majority of those attending the conference spoke English, and translators were always near by.

In the youth sessions, we were put into situations with get-to-know-you activities, and encouraged to find someone from outside our country or province at the least. These activities often led us to discussions on faith and family, which we were able to carry on into our free time at meals, as well as during evening program. Many of us were able to find friends from past MYF trips, such as MCC’s SWAP in Kentucky, and the Fat Calf Festival in Winnipeg. These experiences really made me realize how fortunate I am to be part of a community with so much opportunity for global connections.

Every day there was a schedule with different sessions, featuring a speaker and an open discussion on things like issues in the Church, or a story from someone’s faith.

The session I attended was on Autism in the Church. The speaker was a mother of two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), one more severe than the other. She opened the session by giving a brief overview of what ASD is and what some of the struggles are that people may face. She then had us split into smaller discussion groups and record some issues that we think might arise in a church environment for someone with ASD.

The group I was in ended up taking away some really valuable insight on what kind of things could be done to make the church a more welcoming and engaging environment for people with ASD. Being able to attend this session, despite our busy schedule, was definitely a highlight of this experience for me.

The beautiful and intricate hand artwork shown in the photos below is called Mehndi (or Henna design). It was

offered at the Asia tent in the Global Village at MWC.


Pastor’s Pen“It is my prayer that we can be gracious and

accepting of our differences, and celebrate the beauty of diversity in the church.” (Wendy Janzen)

Mennonite World Conference Global Assembly: (July 2015, Pennsylvania)

Theme - “Walking With God”by Wendy Janzen, Pastor

What a wonderful celebration it is when people young and old from around the globe gather

together to worship! This was my fourth opportunity to attend a Mennonite World Conference Global Assembly, and it did not disappoint.

Every Assembly brings its own flavour, depending on the host country. This Assembly in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, took on a decidedly agricultural feel as it was hosted in the State Farm Complex (complete with lingering smells from farm shows past).

Opening worship brought to our immediate attention the reality that in North America, early European Mennonites immigrants often settled on Native lands that were inappropriately given or sold to them.

Members of the Seneca, Onondaga, and Susquehannock First Nations welcomed us to the Assembly and outlined a shared history with the Swiss-German Mennonites in the Lancaster area. While Mennonites did not participate in physical violence against the Native Peoples, and at times helped to shelter and protect them from aggressors, they did profit greatly from dispossessed lands.

Recently, a service of forgiveness for atrocities of the past happened on the

shores of the Conestoga River (in PA), and we were all invited to move forward together in peace.

This theme of moving forward together, of ‘Walking With God’, pervaded the Assembly. I was reminded again and again that we, as individuals and as the church, are in perpetual motion. We are on a journey, and we must keep moving forward.

The Mennonite Church looks very different than it did when it formed almost 500 years ago (that anniversary is in 2025). We are no longer a white European group, led entirely by men. Our faces, language, music, and theology are richly diverse.

That is what I love most about attending Mennonite World Conference Assemblies: the reminder of our diversity. It is wonderful to be reminded that we do not all look the same, worship the same, or think the same, and that is a good thing.

I think no matter where we live or what culture we come from, it is far too easy for us to get comfortable and believe that we’ve got it ‘right.’

Attending MWC reminds me that there are many expressions of what it means to be an Anabaptist and how to worship God. It is my prayer, though, that we can be gracious and accepting of our differences,

and celebrate the beauty of diversity in the church.

Worship for each day of the Assembly was planned and led by a different continent and offered its unique gifts and insights. Every morning, Young Anabaptists addressed the Assembly, often with the most pointed challenges for the church.

On the last morning, two young men, Rodrigo Pedroza (Mexico) and Marc Pasques (Spain/Australia) spoke. In the midst of their address, they interwove a story of a young boy who enjoyed the circus and especially the powerful elephant who showed off his strength. After the show, this powerful elephant would be chained to a small stake in the ground.

The boy observed that if that elephant wanted to, he could have easily pulled it out. So what was keeping it there? Why didn’t it escape?

He finally found the answer. The elephant didn’t run away because it was tied to the same chain and stake with which it had begun its life. When it was young, the baby elephant must have struggled and tried to pull out the stake, but at that point in its life it was unable. It must have tried repeatedly, for days, until it finally gave up and accepted its incapacity and resigned itself to its future. This now powerful elephant never escaped because it believes it can’t, and has never questioned that memory from its history.

What a blessing to receive both challenge and inspiration for how to ‘Walk With God’ at this juncture in time!

The questions forthe church and us are:

[ What is the chain that keeps usfrom following Jesus?

[ Is there a chain that has become a comfortable excuse in our faith?

[ What pieces of our identity and history prevent us from living to our

full potential in the gospel?

Documents

Life Togethersjmc.on.ca/newsletters/LT_Fall2015_Web.pdf · () for resources for this article compilation. k R ight now there is an urgent need to assist refugees caught up in the