Gun Violence up Close
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CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MessengerAPRIL 2018 WWW.BRETHREN.ORG GUN VIOLENCE 6 MARCH MADNESS 16 CAN WE LIVE TOGETHER? 18 WHY? 20 WINTER IS PAST 22 Photos by Brethren Volunteer Service Staff, Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, Victoria Bateman, and Donna Parcell Donna Bateman, and Victoria Brumbaugh-Cayford, Staff, Cheryl Service Volunteer Brethren by Photos "The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoice” (Psalm 126:3). Thank you for supporting the ministries of the Church of the Brethren. www.brethren.org/give Office of Mission Advancement Your gifts do great things! CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MessengerPublisher: Wendy McFadden Associate editor: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Web editor: Jan Fischer Bachman At-large editor: Walt Wiltschek Design: The Concept Mill Contributing editors: Eric Bishop, Sandy Bosserman, Dana Cassell, Daniel D’Oleo, Emmett Witkovsky-Eldred, Tim Harvey, Bob Neff www.flickr.com / Elvert Barnes Baxter Stapleton APRIL 2018 Vol.167 No. 3 www.brethren.org/messenger No easy answers departments An interview with a Brethren police officer by Tim Harvey 6 2 FROM THE PUBLISHER 3 IN TOUCH 5 THE EXCHANGE Stranger or neighbor? 15 MEDIA REVIEW by Tim Harvey 8 22 BIBLE STUDY 25 NEWSLINE DIGEST 27 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS Music for the times we’re in 28 LETTERS 12 An interview with Shawn Kirchner by Walt Wiltschek 31 TURNING POINTS 32 POTLUCK Gun violence up close 14 by Walt Wiltschek Musical March Madness On the cover Our favorite hymns face off 16 How does a peace church deal with the Can we live together? national epidemic of gun violence? In this issue, 18 Brethren and the winds of change see how individuals and congregations are responding to the When our church is broken times we’re in. 19 by Duane Grady Why? 20 by James Benedict From the Publisher Doing well, thank you How to reach us MESSENGER his issue of MESSENGER represents a bold idea from one of 1451 Dundee Avenue our districts. About a year ago Southern Ohio asked us to collaborate Elgin, IL 60120 Ton a joint venture: They would produce a professionally designed Subscriptions: Diane Stroyeck newsletter, bind it into the center of extra copies of Messenger magazine, [email protected] and send the combined package to everyone in their district. Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 327 Of course, we said yes immediately, inspired by Fax: 847-742-1407 their enthusiasm and their vision for working together. Advertising: In a time when some folks are eyeing their neighbors Karen Stocking suspiciously, we were heartened by their desire for [email protected] Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 308 increased connections within their district and beyond. Fax: 847-742-1407 Leadership in Southern Ohio like the idea of wrap- Editorial: ping their district news in the denominational magazine. [email protected] They believe this is a plus for the visibility of their infor- Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 326 mation to members of the district—as well as a hearty Fax: 847-742-1407 promotion for Messenger. They plan to do this twice Subscription rates: a year, and can imagine it serving as a model for other $17.50 individual rate WENDY MCFADDEN - $32 for 2 years PUBLISHER districts. If you’re not in Southern Ohio, your magazine $14.50 gift rate looks just like usual. But to those 1,500 readers who are $14.50 church club rate receiving the special Southern Ohio edition, welcome to the Messenger family! - $27 for 2 years A few weeks ago, readers in Virginia told me, “This is what a denomina- $ 1.25 student (per month) tional magazine should be!” What makes for a really good denominational If you move, clip address label and magazine? Bible studies that are a lamp to our feet. Inspiring articles about send with new address to MESSENGER Subscriptions, at the above address. ways individuals and congregations are living out their faith. Essays that Allow at least five weeks for grapple with serious issues, and responses from people who are respectful and address change. thoughtful, whether or not they agree with what they’ve read. Words and im- For digital MESSENGER go to ages that strengthen Brethren identity. Articles that hold us together, but aren’t www.brethren.org/accessmessenger. afraid to raise difficult matters that seem to push us apart. Visit MESSENGER online at The editorial team is grateful for excellent writers (whose numbers have www.brethren.org/messenger. increased significantly in recent years). We’re also pleased to welcome former editor Walt Wiltschek, who is spending a few hours a week as Messenger’s at-large editor. He recently became pastor at Easton (Md.) Church of the Brethren, but finds time to help shoulder the editorial load. Most important for a strong magazine is you. We can tell that our subscribers love the church and want it to thrive. You can thank yourselves that Messenger is doing so well. MESSENGER is the official publication of the Church of the Brethren. Member of the Associated Church Press. Biblical quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © April 2018, Church of the Brethren. MESSENGER (ISSN 0026-0355) is published 10 times a year by Brethren Press, Church of the Brethren. Periodicals postage paid at Elgin, Ill., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MESSENGER, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694. Printed on recycled paper (20% post consumer) 2 Messenger April 2018 InTouch Shenandoah sews for girls in Ghana isa Bowers and Teresa Richard, twins and mem- For nine months, the two bers of Community Mission Church of the have coordinated a sewing L Brethren in Woodstock, Va., planned a trip to project with Shenandoah Ghana in February to take 1,200 shields and 6,000 liners District congregations to for girls to use during their monthly cycles. make the washable shields and liners that will give girls needed protection, enabling them to attend school with no monthly interruption. The Ghana Health Service and Education Coordinators have joined with US non- profit Healthy Villages, Inc., to organize this project in remote Ghanaian villages. Many sewers and sergers were needed to accomplish the task. With the help of Ragtime Fabrics in Harrisonburg, Va., and members from several Churches of the Brethren including Antioch, Bridgewater, Sunrise, and Wakeman’s Grove, they were able to meet their goal to supply reusable sanitary kits for 600 girls. The success of this project led those involved to that place in the kingdom where the common, greater good unites God’s children in service, fellowship, and love. —Alice Lee Hopkins Serving with the Rohingya harlene Gilbert of the deplorable conditions Muslim Pleasant Valley Church refugees from Burma are facing. She Cof the Brethren in has a heart for the Muslim people, Jonesborough, Tenn., in Southeastern having worked at a mobile medical District, spent nearly a month in unit just outside Mosul, Iraq, for Bangladesh working in a surgical unit several weeks when the fighting serving Rohingya refugees through against ISIS was at its height. Samaritan’s Purse. As a retired nurse, Conditions there were equally she has kept busy doing medical horrific. mission work around the world over She makes it clear to the people she the past several years. She has worked serves that she serves in the name of in places such as Haiti, Egypt, Iraq, Christ and out of a deep love for them, Nigeria, and other African nations. regardless of which side they are on. In Bangladesh, she saw first-hand —Gary Benesh Do you have district or congregational stories that might be of interest to MESSENGER? Short items with a photo are best. Send them to MESSENGER, c/o In Touch, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 or [email protected]. Messenger April 2018 3 d or yf Ca h- ug ba m ru B yl er h C InTouch Faith Community reaches milestone he record shows that the community. After much plan- celebrated its 25th anniversary. regular worship experi- ning, the Faith Community was Warren Eshbach, former district Tence has been offered at established and recognized as a fel- executive and a former chaplain, was Cross Keys Village—The Brethren lowship at Southern Pennsylvania the guest speaker . as he had been Home Community in New Oxford, District Conference in 1992. At the at the beginning, back in 1992. Pa., throughout its 108 years of exis- 1993 Annual Conference in The Faith Community participates tence, regardless of the setting. When Indianapolis, the Faith Community in many areas of outreach, with the the “Church of the Brethren Home” was recognized as a Church of the church’s budget as evidence. Recently, moved into the former Cross Keys Brethren congregation. the Faith Community supported the Hotel in 1952, room was provided for Intervening years have been a Adams County Department of Aging a small chapel, but it also served as a time of growth for the Faith by boxing up non-perishable food and space for drying laundry. Community, culminating in the dedi- household items for seniors who are More recently, in the 1990s, some cation of a new worship space in the in need. During November, the Faith villagers expressed the wish that a Nicarry Meetinghouse in 2000. This Community collected monetary dona- congregation be established within past November, the Faith Community tions to purchase items for the boxes. Nanty Glo’s angels anty Glo (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is Spirit moving to get such a positive response to this rather small in number, but rich in spirit project,” Beachley says. Nand giving. Looking for a project that would Thirty angels were made, and those that were sold allow them to reach out into the community and beyond, raised $575.