Articles

The Servant of the Lord: Reflections on Bloody Sunday

April 15, 2015 by Conference Office

by Yvonne Platts

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of three significant events in the civil rights movement in the United States: The Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting laws and practices; the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, part of the movement of rights for African-Americans; and “Bloody Sunday,” when marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the Alabama River and were attacked by police with billy clubs and tear gas when they refused to turn back. Every year, marchers gather to commemorate the event and honor those civil rights demonstrators. Here, Yvonne Platts reflects on participating in this year’s march.

Marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Platts.

As a Servant who has been called a many of times to many of places, and most recently to take part in the civil rights legacy known as “Bloody Sunday,” I am always in awe at seeing God’s handiwork on display. The day of the march was a warm and sunny day, and our 10 buses from 10 different cities arrived well before noon for the rally and march, that would start at 1:00 p.m. Right away, my spirit got swept up with joy as preparations were being completed. Vendors had their tables full of cultural and historical displays, charcoal was burning in the massive grills, and music was pumping through the air.

Yet I knew this was more than just a good time; 50 years later we can clearly see a continuing pattern of systemic injustice within our police departments, government laws, and policies affecting voting rights of the poor, elderly, and people of color. Going back to work Monday was not as usual: this experience has had a profound impact that has changed me forever.

I can longer be comfortable with the status quo, nor wait on the sidelines for someone else to step up. Now is the time! Change must come! The time is now! Reclaiming the best from our leaders in Selma who walked, were beaten, and bloodied to secure voting rights will help us to organize, move forward, and bring justice back to our urban communities.

I am on a personal campaign to register all the 18-year-old youth I come across in my community. To work alongside others to bring political awareness through identifying candidates who will truly work with us to create a beloved community, and are worthy of our vote. To use my gifts and talents to lift spirits, encourage souls, and inspire minds to stand against injustice anywhere and everywhere.

Oh God our Father, continue to fill us with thy power to speak out and stand against injustices we see and face within our communities and areas of influence. Let us not miss out on opportunities to share your grace, show your love, and be a blessing to others. May we bold servants for your kingdom, fearlessly speaking the truth in love.

Yvonne Platts attends Nueva Vida Norristown New Life.

Getting Ready for “Biblical Interpretation through Anabaptist Eyes”

April 15, 2015 by Conference Office

by Sharon Williams

What will motivate you to get out of bed this Saturday morning?

“I am excited about this event because anytime I have the opportunity to discuss the Scriptures with other people and we are all open to the leading of the Spirit, God always speaks to me,” says Mike Clemmer, pastor of Towamencin Mennonite Church. “So I look forward to the opportunity to hear God’s voice speak into my life.”

Aldo Siahaan pastors Philadelphia Praise Center and is one of the conference’s LEADership ministers, and says, “As a Christian and pastor who is a ‘new’ Anabaptist/Mennonite, I am always eager to learn more about understanding the Bible from an Anabaptist perspective.”

“I am excited about this event,” says Sandy Landes, prayer minister with the Doylestown congregation. “So many voices clamor for attention in our world and the Bible, as a message for our lives today, sometimes gets lost at sea. I look forward to hearing and learning about reading the Bible with faith. I want to grow with my brothers and sisters in our understanding of ways to interpret the Bible that will compel us to dig deeper, ask more questions and to increase our faith in God at the same time. I pray that we can learn to communicate with each other, increasing our trust as we respect the differences we bring to the table.”

Three Anabaptist biblical scholars—Laura Brenneman, Terry Brensinger and Dennis Edwards—will headline the event.

The event, this Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., is free. Registration is required on the conference website or by calling 610-277-1729; donations for lunch will be accepted. Penn View Christian School is located at 420 Godshall Road, Souderton.

Sharon K. Williams is a musician, editor and congregational/non-profit consultant. She serves the Lord with the Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation as minister of worship.

Anabaptist Theologians to Teach Pastors & Lay Leaders

April 9, 2015 by Conference Office

by Sharon Williams

Laura Brenneman, Terry Brensinger and Dennis Edwards are the featured speakers for “The Bible through Anabaptist Eyes: Christ at the Center,” on Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Penn View Christian School.

The three Anabaptist biblical scholars will interact with participants through presentations and discussion.

Laura Brenneman will start with “Biblical Interpretation in an Anabaptist Perspective: Joshua, Jonah, Jesus.” She teaches at Eastern Mennonite University and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, as well as the University of Illinois, including a program in a men’s prison. Brenneman previously taught religious studies at Bluffton University, and is the co-editor of Struggles for Shalom: Peace and Violence across the Testaments.

Terry Brensinger will present on “Reading the Old Testament with ‘New Eyes.’” He is vice president of Fresno Pacific University, dean of the Biblical Seminary, and professor of pastoral ministries. Brensinger is best known to Mennonites as the author of Judges, in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series by Herald Press. He previously taught Old Testament studies and chaired the Biblical and Religious Studies Department at Messiah College (Grantham, Pennsylvania). Brensinger is an ordained minister in the Brethren in Christ Church and trained spiritual director. Most recently, he served as the international pastor/teacher for the International Brethren in Christ Association, a position that took him around the world to train pastors.

Dennis Edwards will teach about “Word and Spirit: Interpreting the New Testament.” He is the senior pastor at Sanctuary Covenant Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A biblical scholar and chemical engineer by training, Dennis has been in urban ministry for more than two decades, having served at churches in Brooklyn, New York and Washington, D.C. He has taught New Testament studies at St. Mary’s Seminary and University and Bethel Seminary of the East.

“The Bible through Anabaptist Eyes” is sponsored by Franconia Conference’s Ministerial Committee, in response to conference delegates’ interests in biblical interpretation from an Anabaptist perspective. This free event is open to everyone; credentialed leaders, teachers, delegates and lay leaders are especially encouraged to participate.

Registration is required; to register, go to the conference website or call 267-932-6050, ext. 110 or 610-277-1729. Donations for lunch will be accepted.

Penn View Christian School is located at 420 Godshall Road, Souderton.

Sharon K. Williams is a musician, editor and congregational/non-profit consultant. She serves the Lord with the Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation as minister of worship.

Perkiomen Trail Ride to Support MEDA Project

April 9, 2015 by Conference Office

Want to help women in Ghana learn to grow soybeans? Bring your bicycle to Salford Mennonite Church on Saturday, May 2 to join a ride on the Perkiomen Trail, organized by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). The ride will start at Salford Mennonite Church in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, at 2:00 p.m.

Mary Fehr and Sarah French were interns in Nicaragua and Tanzania, and their bike trip will support a MEDA project.

The ride will be led by Sarah French and Mary Fehr, two Canadians who were interns with MEDA in 2013. After this ride, they will travel by bike across Canada, starting in Victoria, British Columbia, and riding 5,412 miles to St. John’s, New Brunswick. Their trip will take four months to allow for stops along the way to raise awareness about MEDA’s Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) project. The GROW project started in 2012 and has impacted 20,000 women and their families.

“Teaching women to farm creates economic empowerment, which strengthens women, creating equality,” says Sarah French, “So improving their skills can help bring a community out of poverty and spur economic growth.”

Mary and Sarah’s goal is to raise $150,000 by biking across Canada.

Sarah French and her father take a break during a training ride.

“I want to be a part of this because by teaching [the women] to grow soybeans, they are creating a sustainable livelihood that will allow them to make choices based on the future rather than rash decisions due to necessities,” says Mary.

Mary and Sarah will be sharing about their internship experiences and their upcoming Canadian bike ride at a dinner at Dock Woods Community on April 30. To RSVP to this event email delvalmeda@yahoo.com. This event is sponsored by the Delaware Valley MEDA chapter.

The Perkiomen Trail ride is sponsored by the MEDA chapters of Lancaster and Delaware Valley. Following the ride, there will be an international dinner and program at Salford Mennonite Church. Registration for the ride is $20; RSVP for the ride and dinner by April 16 at Chapters@meda.org or by calling 717-560-6546.

Additionally, Sarah and Mary will be speaking at Blooming Glen Mennonite and Mellinger’s Mennonnite Church the day after the ride.

SisterCare Offered Time to Encounter God in Each Other in Spanish & English

April 9, 2015 by Conference Office

By Marta Castillo, associate pastor Nueva Vida Norristown New Life & Franconia Conference board member

Mirror, mirror, what do you see?
Women made in the image of Thee
Woman, woman, what do you see?
I see You in me.

Rarely do I get a chance to see God orchestrating events in such a way as for the Women’s Gathering this spring “Shattering our Mirrors, Reclaiming Ourselves”. I imagine that the Sister Care planning committee faithfully and purposefully chose the theme, the location, the date, and carefully planned for speakers and program. At some point in the process, the Holy Spirit began nudging them towards attempting to be more inclusive and intercultural. It all began by the simple decision to send out the event information in Spanish.

Intercultural efforts and events have a way of stripping away our illusions of control and allowing us to “let go and let God.” When the flier went out in Spanish, God moved quickly in a new direction and from my viewpoint, the planning committee with some uncertainty yet graciously followed the Spirit’s lead as their well organized plans went sideways. Very quickly over 20 Spanish-speaking women had eagerly signed up but many of them could not attend without the provision of childcare during the event. The committee had decided not to provide childcare during past events or even this year but willingly obedient to the flow of the Spirit, they agreed to try to provide childcare. God provided people who volunteered to help care for the children but now they realized the original space was too small for all the children and a meeting place for the women. Very close to the date of the gathering, the committee had to consider an alternative space that could accommodate everyone.

After a visit and several conversations with me, the Sister Care Committee settled into moving the whole event to Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. I couldn’t have been happier. I could see that God was doing a new thing and I was honored to be a part of it. For several years, I had carried a desire in my heart to see a repeat of the original event, in which Spanish-speaking women participated and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I wanted to see an event that I could invite all the sisters of color in my church to participate in.

The nudging of God’s Spirit continued. Since there were as many Spanish-speaking women signed up as English-speaking women, why not make it a fully bilingual event? With translated documents, side-by-side translation, and sharing from everyone in Spanish and in English. Why would more than half of the women sit there with ear buds waiting for the Spanish to come through while the English speakers talked on and on without pause? Kudos to the committee members, speakers, and presenters who said “Yes”, they would be willing to try a new method. Thanks be to God who provided translators! One of the comments on the evaluation sheets expresses the importance of making languages equal. “I liked everything because there were no divisions of languages because we are equal before the eyes of God and thank you for the word.”

On the day of the event, women came early, with eager hearts and a hunger for time spent in the company of sisters in Christ. From the greeting, to the worship, the meditations, the sharing, and the final prayer of blessings, English and Spanish words flowed back and forth like a beautiful dialogue. Sandy Drescher Lehman talked about her calling as a pastor, shared her story of her beautiful skirt made from her father’s ties, and encouraged us to go down deep but to emerge in a new place. Table groups talked and shared about the things that hinder them from knowing themselves and God and things that help them draw closer to God and know themselves better.

After a shared meal of tostadas, Christine Waanders walked us through a process of better getting to know ourselves and our personalities. The culminating event of washing each others’ hands brought tears, hugs, love, prayer, and laughter to many women as well as the bittersweet feeling that a day of blessing, healing, and sisterhood was about to end.

Afterward, I received a card signed by 20 of our sisters in Philadelphia, thanking the committee again for the invitation, the experience, and expressing thanks to God. “The time we spent together was glorious. Thank you.” As tears of joy sprung again to my eyes, I am amazed how God orchestrated the events as my faithful sisters chose to follow the leading of God’s Spirit.

Part-time Registration for Mennonite World Conference Now Open

April 9, 2015 by Conference Office

by Phyllis Pellman Good

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is now offering part-time registration for assembly, which will be held July 21-26 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The daily registration rate for adults is $120 per day, and part-time registrants may join friendship groups, attend afternoon workshops and the art exhibit, participate in the Global Church Village, and other activities. Parking or shuttle service is included in the fee.

Magali Moreno of Paraguay is managing registrations for the gathering.

Tours, service projects, the Anabaptist World Cup, and Assembly Scattered will only be open to those who register for the full assembly. Meals are not included in the adult daily rate, although food can be purchased at the Farm Show Complex.

Registrants who cannot participate in the entire assembly may also share a full-time registration with another person, an option that may appeal to Mennonite organizations or churches who are unable to close down for a full week. Congregations and small groups are encouraged to use this option for participants who wish to attend part of the event.

Registration manager Magali Moreno says there are some drawbacks to such arrangements: “We can offer only a single one-of-a-kind registration bag, outfitted with necktie handles, and filled with our brand new songbook, with each full-time ticket.”

As of mid-March, MWC had received registrations from 64 countries.

“Once you enter the Farm Show Complex, you will be in a global community,” says Moreno. “Your registration is like a passport to the global church!”

For full-time or part-time registration for Pennsylvania 2015, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015.

Focusing on the well and not the wall

April 8, 2015 by Conference Office

by Josh Meyer, Franconia Mennonite Church

I vividly remember sitting in one of my seminary classes when a classmate asked our professor, “What’s the single most important piece of advice you’d give us as we prepare for ministry in the church?” The professor responded by saying, “Keep the main thing the main thing. Don’t ever allow Christ to become secondary because you’re distracted by other issues, pursuits, or debates. Those other things may have value, but they’re not the center. Jesus is the center. Above all else, keep the main thing the main thing.”

After nearly a decade in ministry, I’ve seen how easy it is to get preoccupied trying to define the parameters and defend the borders of our faith, rather than focusing on Christ. Debates about who’s in and who’s out, who’s right and who’s wrong, who’s one of “us” and who’s one of “them” have a way of distracting us from the main thing.

It’s kind of like a farmer caring for sheep. One way to prevent the sheep from running away is to build a fence. The downside to fences, though, is they require a lot of maintenance. You need to continually make sure that every part of the perimeter is secure, because just a small gap in the fence will allow all the animals to roam free.

Fences require a lot of resources, though. If you’ve got a three-acre property, you can probably afford to build a fence around it. If you’re a rancher with a huge amount of land, it’s not possible fence the whole thing.

The other option is digging wells. Since a well is a source of water, animals will stay relatively close to it. They are free to roam, but won’t wander too far from the well because it is their source of life. In this scenario, you care for the sheep through what you’re drawing them toward, not what you’re restricting them from. The goal of both approaches is the same, but it’s a whole lot easier and more efficient to dig a life-giving well at the center than it is to maintain a bunch of fences along the border.

I believe the same thing is true when it comes to our faith. Some people spend an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to define and defend the boundaries. Here are the lines we can’t cross, the issues we can’t discuss, the things we can’t do, the words we can’t say, the ways we can’t vote, the people we can’t let in because they believe differently than we do. It’s all about building fences that separate us and erecting walls that distinguish us from everyone else.

The danger of this kind of “bounded set mentality” is it elevates and accentuates peripheral issues while minimizing and diminishing the center. This approach to faith breeds a mentality where we’re extremely clear what we’re against–we draw really thick lines around the edges–but the center tends to get neglected.

I believe a far healthier model is to spend less time defending the borders and more time focused on the center. This “centered set mentality” acknowledges there are some lines we shouldn’t cross, but makes our primary objective the well, not the wall. The bulk of our time and energy is spent inviting people to the source of Living Water.

If we’re really clear about that–if we’re passionate and unwavering in introducing people to Jesus–we won’t need to spend as much time arguing about the border because people won’t want to leave the center. Frankly, I think the problem for many Christians and many churches isn’t that the boundaries of our faith is weak, but that the center of our faith is weak. We’ve spent far too much time on secondary issues and not enough time being formed into the likeness of Christ.

Therefore, we’ve tried to be very clear about what we’re committed to as a faith community: we’re committed to Jesus being the Christ, and we’re committed to Jesus being the center. For that reason, we will unapologetically focus more on the well than on the wall.

As a church, we’re far more interested in proclaiming Christ than we are getting into arguments about who’s in and who’s out. More interested in lifting up the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus than we are debating secondary issues that distract us from the main thing. More interested in introducing people to Jesus than we are engaging in culture wars. More interested in seeing people have their lives changed by Christ than we are convincing them of a particular theological position. More interested in opening the doors of faith to anyone who’s interested in Jesus than we are turning people away because they don’t agree with us on every single issue.

In other words, we are far more interested in the center than we are in the boundary. And Jesus is the center, so that’s what we’re going to preach, that’s what we’re going to teach, that’s what we’re going to study, that’s what we’re going to rally around, that’s what we’re going to get passionate about, that’s what we’re going to give our lives to– because Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus is the center. We want to be really, really clear about that.

May we remember and reaffirm the profound truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. May we be a church that is deeply committed to the well rather than to frenetically building fences. And may we always, always, always keep the main thing the main thing.

This is an excerpt from Josh’s sermon last Sunday at Franconia Mennonite Church in Telford, Pennsylvania.

Junior High Youth Have Late Night Blast

March 26, 2015 by Conference Office

by John Stoltzfus, Franconia Conference Youth Minister

Whose job description includes this clause: Must be willing to have face covered in shaving cream and decorated with cheese curls? If you answered, “Junior high youth sponsor,” you are correct! Junior high youth sponsors are some of the bravest people in ministry.

At junior high youth events, helmets are sometimes necessary... — At junior high youth events, helmets are sometimes necessary…

If you were at the Late Night Blast on March 13, you would have witnessed such a scene and a lot more crazy fun. Close to 150 junior high youth and adult sponsors representing 18 churches gathered for this annual event sponsored by Franconia Conference and Eastern District Conference. It was hosted by Christopher Dock Mennonite High School.

Last year, the event was an all-night lock-in; this year it morphed into a “Late Night Blast,” ending at 11:15 p.m. While some youth lamented the loss of staying up all night, most responses to the evening were still very enthusiastic.

Part of the purpose of this annual event is to give our youth a positive and memorable experience of worshipping together, playing hard, and catching a glimpse of the larger body of Christ that makes up our conference churches. This event also gives a wonderful opportunity for our youth workers to partner together in ministry.

The evening started off with some mixer gamers led by staff from Spruce Lake and by Brent Camilleri from Deep Run East Mennonite Church. Justin Hange and a band from Calvary Church in Souderton then turned up the noise for the evening and led in a spirited time of singing and worship.

“That was awesome!” remarked one youth following the singing.

Scott Roth, pastor at Perkiomenville Mennonite Church, kept the energy flowing as he shared stories of how he sees God at work in his life and his community bringing hope and healing. He challenged the youth to bring together a knowledge of God’s Word with an active obedience to God’s Word in everyday life.

The rest of the night was full of fun activities to choose from: soccer, basketball, dodge ball, human Dutch Blitz, Wally ball, Gaga Pit ball, Nerf blasters, and more. One of the popular new games introduced this year was Human Hungry Hippos. It’s the classic board game with a much needed upgrade. One of the perks of being a junior high youth sponsor is the freedom to experiment with wild and crazy games. Of course, the policy is always safety first, and helmets were required.

The evening ended with a shower of giveaways from Mennonite colleges and camps. Thank you to everyone that helped to plan and carry out all the activities and a special thank you to all the youth leaders that commit themselves to serving with their youth. Their commitment was exemplified by one sponsor giving up her shoes to a youth who needed more appropriate athletic shoes to participate in the games.

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