Mosaic Mennonites

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Pruning, Planting, and Harvesting as Metaphors on Rural Church Life

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By Jeff Wright

People often ask me what Mosaic Conference is like. How can a rural/suburban cluster of churches in southeast Pennsylvania provide anything meaningful to churches in Florida, New Jersey, Vermont, and California? What holds us together in a season of disintegration and polarization? 

Though I have spent nearly four decades living in southern California, with its morning rush hour and beloved freeways, I have found my time in rural-suburban southeastern Pennsylvania to provide new ways of responding to these questions. Three rural metaphors help me to understand and appreciate the work of Mosaic Conference. 

Photo by Jeffrey Clayton on Unsplash
Photo by Felix Mittermeier

First, we aren’t afraid to prune that which isn’t fruitful. For years, Mosaic has been laboring to become more formational (centered in Christ), intercultural (united by Christ), and missional (inviting others to Christ). These are our priorities. Nothing else is as important. Pruning and transplanting create healthier and stronger crops.

Second, we aren’t afraid to plant new crops. I had no idea before coming to Pennsylvania that there is a difference between sweet corn and seed corn. Apparently, some land is suited for one and some land for the other. The hard work is finding out what your soil supports best. In Mosaic Conference, we are planting a variety of churches and Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs). Rather than conforming to a unified set of behaviors, our churches and CRMs are committed to common values–centered in Christ, united by Christ, and inviting others to Christ. For our churches and CRMs to grow these values, we need to be pioneers and try new things. And, very likely, to fail sometimes. 

Pruning and planting are risky businesses. We fear we may whack away too much. We worry that planting something new may be an inadequate return on our investment, which leads to a third metaphor. 

We harvest not based on hard work but on abundant prayer. We can plant the best seed, in the straightest rows, using topflight equipment and state of the art fertilizer, but unless it rains abundantly, mixed with warm sunshine, there won’t be much harvest. Prayer is our rain and sun. When we pray, our work is multiplied and our pruning and planting turn into an abundant harvest.  

Doing church is a risky business. Staying focused on who God is calling us to be, and pruning away what is not part of that call takes courage. Planting new ways of staying centered in Christ, united by Christ, and inviting others to Christ is risky. Committing the harvest to God’s care through a life of prayer is risky.  

  • What do you think Mosaic congregations and CRMs need to prune to be more focused on who God wants us to be? 
  • What new seeds does God want Mosaic congregations and CRMs to plant in our rural and small towns, in our cities, and across the globe? 
  • What kind of harvest are you praying for? 

Mosaic Conference, as a historically rural people with a growing urban influx and increasingly global reach, is a risky business of pruning, planting, and harvesting. 

Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright is a Mosaic Conference Leadership Minister who comes alongside churches in urban California and rural Pennsylvania. He serves as intentional Interim Pastor at Blooming Glen (PA). Jeff and Debbie miss the beach, freeway traffic, and taco trucks. They love Wawa coffee, road trips, and small-town diners. A loyal fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jeff is already anticipating March 20, 2024, opening day for the Dodgers.

Creating a Fruitful Ministry at Every Stage of Life 

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We have the capacity to enhance our passion in Christian ministry, in our lives, and in our families each day. When I think about how to do this, I think back to my mother. 

Though my mother’s life was short (she died before she was 50), she made a big impact on her family and in the community.  She had six children; I am the third in order of birth. We were a big family and my paternal grandmother lived with us.  

My mother started a clothing store of the best brands of that time. The store grew rapidly, and so did her work and responsibility with the family. She really liked what she did–it showed in her face, in the way she dressed, and in her energy. Surely at the end of the day she was very tired, but we didn’t notice it. I think she was physically tired, but not mentally.  

I admire her as someone who planned well. She would think ahead about the next day and always make birthdays, Christmas, and New Years special occasions. I remember my mother, too, in our church services. My mother is an example of how to appreciate each God-given day and how life, family, and Christian ministry can be joyful.   

The psychologist Rafael Santandreu writes in his book, The Glasses of Happiness, “The first rule to make life very interesting is to set a high goal that excites us. A good life is to strive, to go to bed tired every night, but having enjoyed the day.” I agree with Santandreu, and I feel this way too about ministry and service to the church.  

Studies show that Monday is the most depressing day for pastors. “More and more leaders are experiencing burnout, even those who enjoy regular sabbaticals and vacation periods. Their exhaustion has become more severe, and the discouragement and tiredness reach ‘to the bone,'” according to “The Pastors Aren’t All Right: 38% Consider Leaving Ministry,” in Christianity Today, from November 16, 2021 (online).    

This causes me to ask: How do we find a solution to this depressed state of pastors on Monday and other days of the week? 

The same Christianity Today article reflects on how the many challenges faced by pastors forces “pastors to find their identity in Christ and not in the perfection of their ministry.” 

Photo by Mohamed hamdi

Pastor Nic Burleson “had to face his own fears related to lack of growth, and he had to remind himself that God’s call in Matthew 25:21 is centered on faithfulness, not success.” These struggles are causing some pastors to lean into their relationship with Jesus and discover new resilience. This too can be part of the fruitfulness and happiness that we create in our ministries. 

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21, NIV). 

 

A Peace Witness for Children  

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“Why is the Bible so violent?” My son asked me this many years ago, after reading The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament, which tells Bible stories in comic book form with LEGO® figures as the characters. My kids spent long hours every day playing with LEGO® bricks, and so I had excitedly purchased that Bible for them. Perhaps it wasn’t my finest parenting moment, but I gave them the book without reading it first. 

After his question, though, I sat down to read it and was shocked at what I found. Page after page shows terrible violence. Hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered, their blood covering the ground under their dead bodies. It’s as if the author went through the Bible to find the most violent, disturbing stories and then paired them with cute little LEGO® figures to make the stories “fun.” 

When our team set out to create The Peace Table, my son’s question was in the back of my mind. We did not want to traumatize children by emphasizing and glorifying stories of violence with no context nor did we want to erase the violence and conflict from the biblical story.  Our children live in a world where arguments, conflict, bullying, abuse, sexual violence, gun violence and war are far too commonplace. 

It is essential that we equip our children with tools to help prevent, divert and respond to conflict in peaceful ways. They need support for processing and healing from violence perpetrated against them. They need to know what to do when they hurt someone else. The Peace Table is one tool to support children and families on the lifelong journey to becoming peacemakers. 

While The Peace Table includes difficult stories that have elements of conflict and violence — Jacob and Esau, Hagar, and Jesus’ death on the cross, to name a few — these stories are not told in a vacuum. Each story has questions and prompts to help families discuss and process the emotions, decisions, and possibilities within the story. What led to the conflict? How might things have been different if people had made different choices? When have children experienced something similar? How did they respond, and what was the outcome? 

These types of questions don’t solve the problem of violence, and The Peace Table does not provide simplistic answers to complex issues. But the questions do offer a starting place for conversation and communal biblical interpretation as to why violence happens and what can be done about it. At the back of the book, there are ideas about how to have peace with God, one’s self, one another, and creation in difficult situations. Families can reflect on these tangible ideas and decide which ones might be effective in each situation — either in the Bible story or in a conflict that the child is experiencing. We cannot leave our children to try to make sense of biblical or modern-day violence on their own. The Peace Table offers support for engaging these difficult questions and provides a holistic vision of the world God desires.

Learn more about The Peace Table and download free “Follow the Peace Path” bookmarks. 

Editor’s note: This is a shortened version of an article that originally appeared in the Menno Snapshots MCUSA Blog. Full article available here. 

Dear God … It’s me, Marta 

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio & Photo by Ben Vaughn on Unsplash

Dear God, 

It’s me, Marta. 

I am still glowing inside from my visit to Garden Chapel yesterday. The two-hour drive on a Sunday morning was long enough to quiet my mind and open space for your presence, your peace, and your Spirit to settle in and take hold.   

Upon arriving I found the two pastors, Tim and Hector, already hard at work, setting up systems for two services, one in English and one in Spanish (or Spanglish), in-person and on Zoom, one upstairs and one downstairs in their newly renovated building, divinely provided through a community ministry connection. These pastors have full-time time jobs and a deep passion for Christ, ministry, the Word of God, and their diverse community. Oh, the stories they tell, Lord, of how You are working and moving.   

After the service, one of the sisters invited me and the two pastor’s wives for a coffee at a local Colombian bakery. What a wonderful gift to sit and fellowship with my sisters, covering topics from the Conference to our ministry work and our families. I am still glowing, Lord, from spending time with You and Your people. 

But it’s not just at Garden Chapel but at Spring Mount, Plains, Nations Worship Center, Peña de Horeb, Mennonite Bible Fellowship, Circle of Hope, Evangelica Menonita de Oracion y Adoracion, and all the other churches I am invited to visit. 

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all” (Ephesians 4:4-6, NLT).  

Thank You, Lord.   

Love, Marta 

Dear Mosaic Conference, 

It’s me, Marta.   

During the Pathways Forward focus groups, I heard a phrase multiple times: “I love the diversity of Mosaic but…” The “BUT” threw me off. “But” is used to introduce a phrase contrasting what has already been mentioned. It invalidates everything said before. It does not allow for both things to exist at the same time. 

If we use the word “AND,” we can make both statements true: “I love the diversity of Mosaic AND…” 

We need the AND to answer in unity. We need the AND for our commitment “to making our churches places of radical hospitality, inviting and engaging all people regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, lifestyle, or socioeconomic status. God desires to bring transformation to all people; therefore, we will welcome all people and call all people to repentance and holy living” (Grace and Truth, Church Together Statement). 

We need the AND to “be intentional about identifying those on the margins of our churches and society and provide resources for the work of mutual transformation according to the good news of Jesus Christ” (Going to the Margins, Church Together Statement). 

The diverse congregations of Mosaic Conference already minister in the margins.  There are no BUTS about it. Let us be attentive to sticking points and replace them with, “We love the diversity of the body of Christ in Mosaic, AND we will worship the Lord and serve the Lord in unity.” 

“True worship of God transcends time, culture, language, and nation,” says Nelson Kraybill in his book, Apocalypse and Allegiance. Kraybill says that when we worship God, we join a vast multitude of saints from all peoples and all eras of history. When we “see ourselves as part of this multitude, it makes us less likely to idolize our countries. We are less likely to let issues and perspectives of our own generation eclipse the shared wisdom of saints through the ages.”  

Love, Marta 

Platts Recognized for Restorative Justice Circle Leadership 

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Editor’s Note: Yvonne “Maati” Platts is a member of Mosaic’s Board and a member of Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life. A version of this article was printed in the Norristown Patch.  

Yvonne “Maati” Platts, a member of Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life, was recently nominated by one of her students to be featured in the Norristown Patch, a local newspaper, as a community hero.  Congratulations, Maati!  

Below is an excerpt of the nomination: 

What does this community leader do? 

For decades, Maati has been a staunch supporter, leader, and mentor of restorative justice circles and practices throughout Norristown. 

Why do you believe the community leader should be recognized? 

Two years ago, Maati gathered members of the community to create Restorative Norristown. This organization: 

  • Promotes the use of restorative practices in schools, community and institutions 
  • Offers training in restorative practices for youth and adults 
  • Provides mediation services for anyone who has experienced violence and injustice 

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about this community hero? 

She is tireless and completely dedicated to the use of restorative circles. Restorative Circles can: 

  • address incidents of conflict and harm that occur between individuals or groups 
  • build empathy, promote collaboration, and nurture respect 
  • build healthier communities and partnerships 
  • restore relationships 
  • support those experiencing trauma 
  • reduce the negative impact from unjust systems 

Inspiring Books on Spiritual Reading and Commitment 

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“What an astonishing thing a book is,” writes Carl Sagan, who captures my love and appreciation for books quite well. “It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”   

Here are two of the magic-working, shackle-breaking, people-binding books that I’ve been reading lately: 

Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading  

I recently read this as part of the Mosaic Institute class I’m teaching called “Formed By Scripture.” In this rich and beautifully written book, Peterson argues that the way we read the Bible is as important as that we read it. Do we read the Bible for information about God and salvation, for principles and “truths” that we can use to live better? Or do we read it in order to listen to God and respond in prayer and obedience?   

In typical Peterson-style, Eat This Book is written with warmth and wisdom, offering readers greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on reading the Scriptures on their own terms, as God’s revelation. He discusses the nature of language, the practice of lectio divina, the role of translations, and how to engage in the formative, life-changing art of spiritual reading.   

This book is the fruit of decades of reading, pondering, conversing about, praying over, and living the biblical story. If you are going to read a book about how to read “The Book,” it’s hard to do better than this one. 

David Brooks’s The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life  

Every so often you meet people who radiate joy, who seem to know why they were put on this earth, who glow with a kind of inner light. Life, for these people, has often followed what we might think of as a two-mountain shape.   

They get out of school, start a career, and begin climbing the mountain they thought they were meant to climb. Their goals on this first mountain are the ones our culture endorses: to be a success, to make your mark, to experience personal happiness. But when they get to the top of that mountain, something happens. They look around and find the view…unsatisfying. They realize, “This wasn’t my mountain after all.” There’s a different, better mountain out there for them to pursue. And so, they embark on a new journey.   

On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. They embrace a life of interdependence, not independence. They surrender to a life of commitment, this time to the things with lasting value.   

In The Second Mountain, Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: (1) to a spouse and family, (2) to a vocation, (3) to a faith, and (4) to a community. He argues that our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments.  

I resonated with the book’s central premise and found its discussion on the four commitments that make a meaningful life to be thought-provoking and reflection-generating. This is a book worth pondering.  

A Growing Network of Peace Proclaimers 

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Paulus and Sumatha Thalathoti (of Plains Mennonite Church, Lansdale, PA) started Peace Proclamation Ministries International (PPMI), a Mosaic Conference Related Ministry, in 2011 by partnering with eight rural pastors in India. By 2018, there were about 40 pastors and spouses who attended their annual conference. This year, the group had doubled to over 80 pastors. The significant growth of the ministry through the years, particularly during the pandemic, is a testament to the devotion of the pastors and God’s work among PPMI. 

July 2023 PPMI Conference with all participating pastors and their spouses.
Photo provided by PPMI

The ministry has also grown in its geographic reach. Over the last couple of years, PPMI has partnered with a handful of pastors from the Chhattisgarh state where persecution against Christians is more pronounced. The diversity and growing number of partners within the network over the past decade really stand out. The pastors are each connected with a regional group with whom they meet on a regular basis. The head pastor from each region corresponds regularly with Paulus to support each group’s needs. This network allows PPMI to quickly adapt to changing realities such as distributing food to those in particular need during the pandemic. 
 
This year’s conference, the first since the start of the pandemic, was held at a new location which provided a more retreat-like atmosphere. Each night, Paulus and Caleb Benner, PPMI Board secretary, sat with one of the regional groups of pastors to hear their stories. Some face persecution from Hindu nationalists while others shared how leaders from mainline denominations with more resources attempt to lure their congregants away with certain benefits like a burial plot. A few shared their personal struggles with health or family.  

PPMI Board Secretary Caleb Benner (right in red shirt) offers teaching during the Pastors’ Conference, with interpretation in Telugu and Hindi.
Photo provided by PPMI
PPMI team welcomes congregants and villagers.
Photo provided by PPMI

Despite all the challenges, these pastors’ hearts are full of praise for the Lord, and they are eager to share the gospel of Jesus. In faith, new churches are being planted and existing churches are growing! 
 
PPMI is so grateful for your prayers and support that have been essential to the expanding ministry. To learn more about what God is doing in India, the annual PPMI banquet is on Saturday, September 30 from 6-8pm at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.

Yet We Still Declare That God Is Faithful 

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I was raised and spiritually formed by Mennonites. God’s call to ministry came to me when I was in my late 20s. It came as a surprise and was disorienting. I do not come from a family of pastors, and I was a single woman. Yet, the spiritual foundation had been laid for me to hear God’s call and respond with faithfulness.  

Ministry has been a great joy in my life, but it has also been full of hardships. Like so many in Scripture, I testify to the faithfulness of God, the love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit amid those hardships.   

This has also been the testimony of Mosaic Conference. The birth of Mosaic was filled with hope. It has been an honor to be among its leadership from its beginning. We had work to do to live with integrity into this name, yet the Spirit was among us.  

The birth of Mosaic coincided with the unprecedented pandemic. Together we navigated that time, supporting and praying for one another. We chose different ways of being together and “doing church,” but we stayed connected to God and one another.  

Last year, our Assembly theme focused on the Hebrew word, chesed, meaning, the loving kindness of God which was given freely to us, even when undeserved.  This year, our theme emet builds off of that. In Hebrew, emet means powerful kindness and faithful truth. Psalms 116 and 117 remind us that God’s kindness for us is powerful; the Lord’s truth endures forever.  

We began our Pathways Forward process in 2022. During that time, our country, our neighborhoods, our churches, and even our homes have been through a lot. We have had severe weather, widening wealth inequality, episodes of hatred and violence, cultural and political polarization, and even divided family gatherings.  

Yet we still declare that God is faithful. There has been space for prayer, fasting, listening, relationship building, and dreaming together. The opportunity to live into the hope of Mosaic Conference remains.   

The Mosaic Board recently received a summary report from the Pathways Steering Team and the consultants, reporting on the focus groups’ meetings. Please take time to read this summary report. We will have the opportunity to discuss its implications at our Delegate Preparatory meetings (September 23-28) and Assembly on November 4. There will be lots of conversations to articulate who we are and to name our similarities and differences, and how they inform our missional, formational, and intercultural priorities.  

It may feel like learning to ride a bike without training wheels, full of bumps yet worth it. I anticipate needing to remember what it was like when I felt a call to ministry as a single woman; it was hard, and God was with me. Similarly to the disorienting pandemic, God will see us through.  

We knew living into the Mosaic name would require us to work at being transformed by one another through God’s power. I am grateful for the scriptures about the chesed and emet of God. It gives us strength to do the reconciling work of following Jesus through the power of the Spirit.  

We need not be afraid. We can have the boldness and courage to wait on the Lord as we heard proclaimed in Psalm 27 at Pentecost this year. May our work and lives together reflect the beauty of the quilt that has become a symbol for us and draws us back to chesed and emet, God’s powerful kindness and faithful truth. See you at Assembly on November 4th!