TheMennonite
- www.TheMennonite.org
- September 7, 2004
com m u n it ies p u rsu in g
Page 8
p u rp ose
Ch rist’s
ommunities
C
ursuing
p
hrist’s
C
urpose
p
FIRST IN A SERIES
11 CPT turns 20 16 Tragic zeal
18 Help eliminate global debt 32 Picking presidents
GRACE AND TRUTH
God is bigger than our language about God
Or suppose a woman has 10 valuable silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found her lost coin. In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.—Luke 15:8-10 (NLT)
But Jesus also described God as a woman who lost a coin. Again I hear that caution against settling on only one image of God, even one recommended by Jesus. God is bigger than any single image presented in the Scripture.
Provider, Savior, Redeemer, King, Lord, Warrior,
Mother, Father, Eagle, Rock, Fire, Light, Wind, Spirit, Son. The Scripture is full of different images of God. As we hold them together we discern the outline of One far beyond anything or anyone we can imagine. Singly these images may be easier to hold, they may create a sharper picture. But it is in the aggregate that we discern the complexity, the wonder, the beyond-ness of the God of Scripture. Avoiding exclusive language for God invites us to be open to a multitude of biblical lenses through which to understand and appreciate who God is.
Using inclusive language is also a matter of justice. Christians have been slow to recognize that the Bible’s masculine bias is as culturally bound as its poetry or cosmology. We dismiss calls for inclusivity as “political correctness,” yet Jesus warned against hindering anyone from becoming a disciple. use inclusive language when I preach. It’s not hard to do. Start by substituting “humanity” for
I
“mankind.” It gets easier from there. This is not praiseworthy but an attempt to leave room in the sermon for everyone to enter. I teach my sons that we watch our language in the realm of God.
I rarely use masculine language for God. I don’t rewrite the Scriptures. But when the words are my own, they reflect a God who is more than male. This is true to the variety of images of God we find in Scripture.
Ron W. Adams
is pastor at East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pa.
The biblical writers use masculine language when speaking of God. As are we, those writers were products of their times and cultures. Their choice of language is not surprising. They used lan- If exclusive language hinders anyone from followguage, metaphor and imagery that made sense to their audiences. Patriarchal societies understood and preferred masculine language.
But the writers also compared God to a nursing mother (Isaiah 49:15) and an eagle who bore Israel ing Jesus, we’d do well to heed that warning.
For too long some of our sisters have been excluded from feeling fully welcome. The fault is not God’s, the One who created us in the divine image, female and male, and called us good. The up on her wings (Exodus 19:4). Though these femi- fault is the use of language that excludes and limits nine images of God are scarcer than I’d prefer, they the good news in a way that makes it hard to hear. tell us our understanding of God should not be limited by our cultural or linguistic preferences. Using feminine language to describe God even once makes clear that God is not solely masculine.
If only one young woman finds a deeper connection to God through inclusive language, that’s worth throwing a party. If my sons come to see that God is One who values and understands every
Jesus called God Father. He instructed the disci- human being, that’s worth throwing a party. And ples to pray to “our Father.” I have no need to clean even if the only one changed is the preacher, I say, up Jesus to fit my taste or my understanding of jus- Break out the balloons and serve the ice cream. tice. I do not hesitate to pray the Lord’s prayer as recorded in the Gospels.
There is joy in heaven (and earth) when even one
TM
sinner repents.
The Mennonite seeks to serve Mennonite Church USA by helping readers glorify God, grow in faith and become agents of healing and hope in the world. The Mennonite (ISSN 1522-7766) is published on the first and third Tuesdays of each month by the board for The Mennonite, Inc. Periodical postage paid at Scottdale, PA 15683-1999. Canada Post international publications mail sales agreement no. 40033185, GST no. R122192453. Subscription rates: $38.75 (U.S.) per year. Group rates available. Scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official positions of The Mennonite, the board for The Mennonite, Inc., or Mennonite Church USA.
Vol. 7, No. 17, September 7, 2004
TheMennonite
- Editor: Everett J. Thomas
- Offices:
- [email protected]
- 1700 S. Main St.
Goshen, IN 46526-4794 phone: 800-790-2498 fax: 574-535-6050
Associate editor: Gordon Houser
Marketing/Advertising: Marla J. Cole
Secretary: Kristene Miller Editorial assistant: Nora Miller Design: Merrill R. Miller
722 Main St., P.O. Box 347 Newton, KS 67114 phone: 800-790-2498 fax: 316-283-0454
Editor Emeritus: J. Lorne Peachey
Postmaster:
Cover, pages 8-11 by Laurie L. Oswald
Web site
Send form 3579 to 616 Walnut Ave., Scottdale, PA 15683-1999.
2
TheMennonite September 7,2004
CONTENTS
8 Communities pursuing Christ’s purpose
God’s heartbeat sends Mennonite Church USA to reach people with healing and hope.—Laurie L. Oswald
11 CPT turns 20
A look at the first 20 years of Christian Peacemaker Teams under the leadership of Gene Stoltzfus—Melanie Zuercher
67
14 Spiritual resistance
An excerpt from Iraq: A Journey of Hope and Peace —Peggy Faw Gish
16 Tragic zeal
The spiral of violence, vengeance and death
—Darrin W. Belousek
19 Keim is Hesston’s presidential candidate 20 Hurricane Charley leads to God’s love
Pine Creek Chapel in Arcadia, Fla., finds new ministry opportunities.—Esther Kniss
21 Leaders make plans to pass on legacies
19
—Everett J. Thomas
22 Biennial convention joins Native people
—Kenyetta Aduma
23 Hispanic Mennonites develop identity
—Gordon Houser
DEPARTMENTS
2 Grace and truth
God is bigger than our language about God—Ron W. Adams
24
4 Readers say 6 News digest
18 Speaking out
Help eliminate global debt—Celeste Kennel-Shank
26 For the record 30 Resources 32 Editorial
Picking presidents—Everett J. Thomas
September 7,2004 TheMennonite
3
READERS SAY
Amish in the City
felt I have to be careful about what I say and where I say it. Some in the Mennonite church imply we must be doing something wrong or un-Anabaptist to become a church that continues to attract large numbers of people from our community. Furthermore, I occasionally feel judged for not attending leadership seminars at our Mennonite seminaries. Instead I attend other seminars across the country at large churches that have already walked where we will be walking or take classes from other seminary professors who have had experience leading large, growing churches.
I pray there will be a day when larger Mennonite congregations will not be seen as an aberration of the “ideal” small or medium-sized church. My prayer is that regardless of the size of any church, there will be rejoicing together that we are effectively reaching our communities with the good news, and more people are becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.—Dennis Gingerich, Cape
Coral, Fla.
Re the reality TV show “Amish in the City” (Mediaculture, Aug. 17): Does “Amish in the City” exploit Amish? Sure it does. But it pales in comparison to other ways the presence of Amish is used to promote tourism in Elkhart and LaGrange counties in Indiana, Holmes County in Ohio, Lancaster County in Pa., and other counties as well. Businesses want to profit from tourist dollars as the tourists gawk at Amish in their quaint dress, watch them travel in a horse-drawn buggy or wagon—all the while staying in the comfort of an elegant motel as they observe the simple lifestyle.
This publication welcomes your letters, either about our content or about issues facing the Mennonite church. Please keep your letters brief— one or two para-
If we want to protest Amish exploitation, why don’t we protest every time we see the name “Amish” used to promote the sale of a product?
—Richard Hostetler, Goshen, Ind.
graphs—and about one subject only. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Publication is also subject to space limitations. Send your letters to Readers Say,
The Mennonite, 1700
S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526-4794. Or email us at: Editor@ TheMennonite.org. Please include your name and address. We will not print letters sent anonymously, though we may withhold names at our discretion.
No pledge of allegiance
Thank you for J. Nelson Kraybill’s challenging call questioning participation in the national pledge of allegiance (“A Christian Pledge of Allegiance,” Aug. 3). My parents suggested that it was not appropriate for Christians. Through 12 years of public school I stood at attention during the pledge with arms down at my side. Christ and Caesar both call for our ultimate loyalties, and we make the choice. After a half century of refusing the pledge (when my peers stand to declare their loyalty to Old Glory), I am reminded of both who and whose I
am.—Bob Hartzler, Wayland, Iowa
Silly of church to divide
Several articles in the July 20 issue tell of the serious adjustments being made in at least some of the area conferences, and especially Western District, of Mennonite Church USA. I understood the articles to say that a whole range of previous associations and history now seem to be treated with neglect, and many churches and their members in states like Kansas and Oklahoma are baffled as to why the changes were made at all. These system changes are now combined with demographic and economic shifts to produce major challenges.
I share the feelings of those who are telling us what seems to be happening. From where I sit, it seemed almost silly to divide all kinds of activities into two national groupings simply to say that we had a distinct church on each side of the border. If national characteristics play such a large role in religious bodies, one wonders about priorities. Canada and the United States are distinct countries, but the Christian church is no more a divided entity by political borders now than it was in the time of the apostle Paul.
—Editors
Bless large congregations
Thanks to Jim Lapp for speaking out in the article “Let’s Bless Large Mennonite Congregations” (Aug. 3). As a church planter who has had the incredible privilege of leading a small group of six to become a large growing congregation, I too have
IN THIS ISSUE
e have heard that Mennonite Church USA is to be a missoinal church. But what does that look like? In this issue
W
we begin a series by Laurie L. Oswald intended to describe what it means to be a missional church (page 8). Oswald says, “Asking what God is doing in the world and then becoming people who can join God is more a shift in focus than adding programs.” Other expressions of the missional church are the biennial gatherings sponsored by Mennonite racial-ethnic associate groups (beginning on page 21). Finally, we note that Christian Peacemaker Teams recently celebrated 20 years of standing peacefully between warring parties and that founding director Gene Stoltzfus recently retired. We commissioned Melanie Zuercher to review this phenomenal expression of the missional church and reflect on what its success is saying about our historic peace witness (page 11).—Editor
At St. Louis 1999 a friend, more outspoken than I am, opined, “We are here at the death of the General Conference.” May there be enough grace to help us go on from here and grasp the opportunities as new light, hopefully, comes.—Lorne Buhr,
Edmonton
Seeds for a missional church
Thank you Dorothy Nickel Friesen for the observations on the state of rural communities and rural churches (“Secondary Terrorism,” July 20). I was reminded that the power of death is real and it is
4
TheMennonite September 7,2004
READERS SAY
wanting to claim our towns and our churches. I hope the article is only the beginning of a process whereby we reflect on what is happening around us in light of Christ’s victory over the powers of this age and then creatively imagine how the Christian community can be engaged in witnessing to the presence of the kingdom that is making the world new.
What we are witnessing in the rural areas is not
“terrorism.” We are instead experiencing the inevitable consequences of modernization in which the poor are exploited while those profit who control seeds and markets. In order to renew the world, churches both urban and rural need to rethink what it means to share in the fellowship of the Lord’s Table. Eating at one and the same time poverty, the continuing unchecked violence against women and ongoing racism.
Still planning on voting on the issues of “gay marriage” and abortion alone? First, spend five minutes just listening to a poor and single woman considering abortion. Visit with a woman whose husband beat her the night before in front of their children. Hang out in a low-income housing area. Read the testimony of a woman raped in Sudan in an attempt to wipe her race out of existence. Remember, behind every issue there are human
faces.—Jennifer A. Yoder, Columbus, Ohio
ONLINE POLL
RESULTS
No campaign letters
In the Aug. 17 Readers Say, two letters proposed that we vote in November and vote for President
Should Christians say the Pledge of Allegiance?
connects us with social, political economic, environ- Bush. The Mennonite should call a moratorium on mental issues. By awakening our conscience and through the renewal of the meaning of our sacraments we can turn this tragedy into an opportunity
to praise God.—Ray Epp, Yubarigun, Japan
all campaign letter writing.
One of the basic tenets of Anabaptism is the separation of church and state. Why would we allow a church publication to promote candidates? Our allegiance is to the kingdom of God. Our national allegiance is secondary. Would our promotion of and
Yes (51%) No (42%) Not sure (7%)
God is not Republican or Democrat
Check out the new poll question at www. TheMennonite.org
I read The Mennonite with interest each week, espe- voting for certain candidates not make us in part cially the letters from readers. Two letters especially culpable of their grievous violations of God’s kingcaught my eye in the Aug. 17 Readers Say: “Vote for dom? Both candidates are dripping with the unnecGood Government” by Wayne Kratzer and “Other Wars Than Iraq” by Lorene Gable. essary blood of war (Iraq and Vietnam). They are both beholden to the power structures of the mighty. Deception and lies seem to be the order of the current campaign. We should continue to use our publication to call our government to govern with justice for all. But let us refrain from becoming partisan and actually making the mistake of believing our government can do the work of the king-
dom.—Joseph Yoder, Middlebury, Ind.
I am saddened by these letters. I am saddened that these two individuals consider liberals the enemy. I am not the enemy. I believe in peace, justice and social reform. I believe in not only tolerance but acceptance and understanding of all people, just as Jesus taught. I disagree with Gable on most of her points, but this does not make me less committed to Christian or Mennonite values than she. Were our forebears not liberals of a sort, buck- Editor’s note: As the U.S. presidential election draws ing the norm of the Catholic church to start something new? Are we not, as a faith, supposed to be committed to helping the poor and restoring social justice, both decidedly Democratic ideals? Are we
near, we will print letters about the election if space allows. However, priority will be given to letters that address articles and news in The Mennonite.
not also supposed to be committed to peacemaking, Life is too short something our current president has most definite- I want to affirm Clarence Rempel for his words of
- ly left by the wayside?
- wisdom (“Life Is Too Short to Pretend,” Aug. 17).
Life is too short to not truly communicate our inner selves with our Christian brothers and sisters. We heal our own wounds from sharing each other’s pains and hurts. We grow and learn from each other’s guilt and past mistakes. We need to help lift each other up and walk through those difficult times together. We can’t do so, however, if we don’t
God is not a Republican. Neither is God a
Democrat. And neither you nor the Religious Right
speak for me.—Renita Leichty, Henderson, Ky.
Listen to a poor person
In response to the letters “Vote for Good Government” and “Other Wars Than Iraq” (Readers Say, Aug. 17): The political atmosphere is volatile; politi- know about each other’s inner churnings. cians are baiting and hooking the Christian voting block with hot-button issues such as abortion and so-called “gay marriage” in an attempt to divert our attention from the war in Iraq, the “situation” in Sudan, international relations in general, increased
I’m sure Christ would want us to walk toward each other, not away, in times of pain. Together let’s try to drop our pride and our fears and share ourselves in a deeper way with each other.—Sandy
Eberly Wenger, Bellefontaine, Ohio
September 7,2004 TheMennonite
5
NEWS DIGEST
IN BRIEF
Pasadena Mennonite protests Halliburton
PASADENA, Calif.—Pasadena Mennonite Church organized a protest and vigil held Aug. 7 in front of the Pasadena offices of Halliburton. About 35 local evangelical Christians participated in the protest.
According to organizers, the group wanted to show that the values espoused by the Bush administration are opposed to Christian values that many evangelicals hold dear. The group sought to challenge Christians of all persuasions to apply the life and teachings of Jesus to U.S. foreign policy, and particularly to military and corporate conduct during the occupation of Iraq.
“There are a lot of people who say they are
Christians yet are actively supporting violence and corporate profiteering in a way that contradicts Jesus’ life and teachings,” said organizer Eric Getty, a staff member with InterVarsity, an evangelical campus movement. “The Scriptures clearly challenge these practices, and we are here to witness to a biblical way of love and justice that has always been a part of evangelical tradition.”
Shands Stoltzfus named AMBS director of admis- sions, financial aid
Regina Shands Stoltzfus has been named director of admissions and
Dancing before the Lord
financial aid for
At the closing rally of the Holy Spirit in Missions Conference in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the White Dove children’s group, representing various churches in the Sula District of the Honduran Mennonite Church, performed special musical numbers and dances in praise of missions and in honor of missionaries.
