March 8, 2004 Volume 8, Number 5 Journey to retirement page 6 The Passion page 9 DeskTop This sombre season these days, particularly the controversial The Passion of the Christ, which opened in theatres on Ash Wednesday (see O wearisome condition of humanity! page 9). Opinion on this movie has ranged from fervent Born under one law, to another bound; endorsement by Christians (“God made this movie,” said one Vainly begot and yet forbidden vanity; Canadian cleric) to howls of disgust at its excessive violence Created sick, commanded to be sound. and narrow focus (“fundamentalist pornography,” declared What meaneth nature by these diverse laws? one reviewer; “the greatest gory ever told,” said another). Added to that clash of opinion is the intense debate over his time of year one is tempted to lapse into the whether the movie is anti-semitic. weary frustration of the poet Fulke Greville (1554- The review in this issue will hopefully provide us with T 1628) who penned these lines in a tragedy called some guidelines as we make our way through this noisy Mustapha. They are wintry lines, appropriate for the end of clamour of extremes. Regard- a long, cold season, and the doleful introspection of Lent. less of one’s reaction to this The poet is frustrated with Nature’s contradictions: movie, director Mel Gibson can Everyone is talking “Tyrant to others, to herself unjust, / Only commands things be credited with one of the most about the passion of difficult and hard…. / Makes easy pains, unpossible reward.” brilliant marketing schemes Why does life have to be so difficult? ever seen in the industry. Christ this Lenten Greville’s own life demonstrates the fickleness of nature Everyone is talking about the season. It’s a good that he lamented. Heir to privilege, he was a friend of passion of Christ this Lenten Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney, poets whose fame season. It’s a good chance for us chance for us to continues to shine brightly while Greville has been largely to explore more deeply what all forgotten. He was knighted and given the historic Warwick that suffering means. explore what all that Castle, but his life ended in ignominy when a discontented To cheer us up during this suffering means. servant murdered him. His legacy was passed on to an sombre season, we offer a adopted son. summer preview, complete with Greville sounds a lot like the preacher of Ecclesiastes, vacation suggestions, summer events and recipes. See the another man who found life contradictory and tiresome: “All Focus on Summer section on pages 21-25. As you begin to the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not plan your summer, don’t forget the Mennonite Church satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the Canada assembly to be held July 7-11 in Winkler, Manitoba. fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to Another inspiring feature in this issue is a look at creative conduct himself before the living... The more words, the retirement. The meditation by Leona Dueck Penner (page 6) more vanity, and what is man the better? For who knows approaches retirement as a journey, linking it to the journey what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain through Lent. Accompanying this meditation are stories life...” (Ecclesiastes 6:7-12). about people who are doing unusual and creative things In keeping with this sombre season, we offer a review of during their retirement years (pages 4-5). Look for more of the two Jesus movies being hotly debated in the public press these stories in the next issue.—Margaret Loewen Reimer Mission statement: Published by Canadian National correspondent: Leona Dueck Penner, Mennonite Publishing Service, Canadian Mennonite Winnipeg, Man. Phone: (204) 888-6781 serves primarily the people and churches of E-mail: [email protected] Mennonite Church Canada and its five area Regional correspondents: conferences. Canadian Mennonite is a bi-weekly Anabaptist/ Mennonite Eastern Canada: Maurice Martin, Phone: (519) 662-1031 periodical which seeks to promote covenantal relationships within the E-mail: [email protected] church (Hebrews 10:23-25). It provides channels for sharing accurate and Manitoba: Evelyn Rempel Petkau, Phone: (204) 745-2208 fair information, faith profiles, inspirational/educational materials, news E-mail: [email protected] and analysis of issues facing the church. Saskatchewan: Karin Fehderau, Phone: (306) 933-4209 E-mail: [email protected] Head office: 490 Dutton Drive, Unit C5, Waterloo, ON N2L 6H7 Alberta: Donita Wiebe-Neufeld, Phone: (780) 436-3431 Phone: (519) 884-3810 Toll-free: 800-378-2524 Fax: (519) 884-3331 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] British Columbia: Angelika Dawson, Phone: (604) 870-0494 Interim Editor/Publisher: Margaret Loewen Reimer E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Board of directors: British Columbia: Henry Neufeld (chair), Staff: Betti Erb, associate editor; Natasha Krahn, admin. assistant; Alberta: Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, Jan Wilhelm. Saskatchewan: Bernie Tammy Sawatzky, art director; Barb Draper, editorial assistant. Thiessen. Manitoba: Aiden S. Enns, Bernie Wiebe, Paul Krahn. Advertising: Barbara Burkholder Phone: 800-316-4052 Ontario: Mary Lymburner, Brice Balmer, Ester Neufeldt. Fax: (519) 884-3331 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.canadianmennonite.org PAP Registration No. 09613. Contact head office for subscriptions and address changes. See order form on inside back cover. ISSN 1480-042X We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing cost. 2 Canadian Mennonite March 8, 2004 Volume 8, Number 5 ThisIssue March 8, 2004 Volume 8, Number 5 4UpClose Creative retirement 4 6 Faith&Life Journey to retirement 6 9Arts&Culture The Passion 9 Art festival 10 11 InConversation Paying for war 11 Letters 11 Page 9 Family Ties 12 14 WiderChurch Voluntary service program 14 Page 28 After Zimbabwe assembly 16 Heresies 18 Focus on Summer 21 28 LocalChurch Web site preview Saving elevators 28 Get a preview of the next Youth at Valaqua 29 Canadian Mennonite before Calgary to Colombia 31 it comes in the mail. Transitions 33 Selections are posted on our web site at www.canadianmennonite.org on the Thursday before the 34 TheChurches Page 18 issue date. So you can check out the March 22 issue by March 18. 38 ToMorrow Cover: Photo by Leona Dueck Penner. Canadian Mennonite March 8, 2004 Volume 8, Number 5 3 UpClose Elmira, Ont. began at age nine. He enjoys photogra- A man of many talents phy, gardening, repairing projects and ome people are so busy making uncle. woodworking. He built a mini-shop a living that they don’t have Paul was in Rockway Mennonite behind their home, and sells plastic S time for life. That could never Collegiate’s first graduating class in tees for industrial and agricultural be said about Paul Fretz, a member of 1948. He completed Grade 13 at purposes. The Fretzes try to travel to Bloomingdale Mennonite Church. Kitchener Collegiate Institute and one new area each year—this year to Paul spent 36 years as an educator, taught for seven years near Bancroft, Belize, with Beverley as guide. 26 as an elementary school principal. Ontario. Many incidents confirm for the He retired at age 54 He has been Fretzes how God has led throughout “with many years deeply involved at their life journey. Paul says that left,” as he put it, “to Floradale and without Viola’s practical wisdom, he be God’s servant.” Bloomingdale would never have covered so much Among countless Mennonite churches ground. interests, Paul and his over the years—as “I have always felt, even as a youth, wife Viola established Sunday school teacher that God was leading my life, day by a rabbit-breeding (for a remarkable 55 day,” he said. His daily prayer is, business in 1958. They years in total), elder “Lord, lead me to someone today to supplied rabbits to the and committee whom I can be of service.”—Betti Erb Ontario Veterinary member. For 18 College in Guelph for years—15 as chair— experiments, and he has been on the showed rabbits at personnel committee Gretna, Man. fairs, including the for the House of Retiree chooses Royal Winter Fair in Friendship in people over activities Toronto. (In 1960 they Viola and Paul Fretz Kitchener. won top prize for the He is called on to o inaugurate her retirement at best rabbit in Canada.) minister, from time to time, in a age 65, Helen Braun went on a “We became the largest rabbit and United Church near Fraser Lake Tfive-day hike with her six sisters accessory outlet in Ontario. God Camp, near the family cottage. Paul in the Rocky Mountains. Braun’s blessed our business,” said Paul. was one of the founders of the camp. enthusiasm for adventure has not In 1959, Paul began a rabbit meat For 12 years he was a member of the waned in the 10 years since then, but outlet for a growing market. He was Gideons. talking about them is not something founding president of what became the For years Paul maintained two good- she likes to do. Her pastor Rudy Franz (Gretna Ontario Commercial Rabbit Growers sized gardens and kept bee hives to Bergthaler Mennonite Church) and Association, and remained its secre- supply raw honey to clients. Currently his wife Kathy are much quicker to tary until the early 1970s. Because of he is mentoring a younger man who point out Braun’s involvements in the his efforts, the Ontario Ministry of wishes to be a beekeeper.