Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Leviticus … in 2021?

by

Is there anything in Leviticus that applies today?  I often view Leviticus as just a lot of rigid rules and religious activities that are not relevant for us today. Recently, I was surprised. While there are a lot of rituals that can be confusing, there is also a lot about stewardship and generosity, integrity and justice, and respect that we can still apply to our daily lives in 2021.  There is a lot about God’s desire that we be in right relationships with others.   

Stewardship and generosity

Our gifts to God, whether financial, time, or talents, should be from our first fruits and the best we have.  Do we give God our best?  A theme repeated often in Leviticus is that when we give our best, it is an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 

Another theme repeated throughout Leviticus is that generosity is for everyone.  Often repeated are the words, “If anyone cannot afford…” This phrase is followed by a less valuable commodity which can be given, but just as acceptable to God. Therefore, everyone can participate in being generous, no matter what their economic status is. 

Integrity and Justice

Chapter 19 says to treat others fairly. We shouldn’t show favoritism to anyone, great or small. We also shouldn’t seek revenge or carry a grudge, which is really the definition of forgiveness. There is even something in Leviticus for business persons: we should pay our employees fairly and promptly (19:13b), and use honest business standards (19:36), all of which affects our customers, vendors, and employees. 

Chapter 19 also says a lot on how to treat our neighbor: don’t lie to them, steal from them, slander them, or do anything that would endanger their lives. Instead, we are to love them as we love ourselves.  Chapter 6 says how we treat our neighbor is a comparison to how faithful we are to the Lord.  When we deceive or cheat a neighbor, we are being unfaithful to the Lord. 

There is also advocacy and care for the poor and the foreigner in the book. We must treat and love the foreigner as we do ourselves.  Sounds a lot like we should treat them as if they were our neighbors. We also are advised to allow them to glean our fields after the harvest.  What are some “gleaning” options that we can leave behind by those of us in non-agrarian settings?   

Respect

Chapter 19 also goes on to advocate for the elderly and our parents, giving them proper respect, just as you would respect or revere God. 

Leviticus does have something to say to us in 2021.  How we live in community and relate to others is reflective of our faith in God. 

Women of Remarkable Faith Gather

by

We arrived in all the ways a diverse group of women gather:  lovely dresses, jeans, sweaters, jackets, short sleeves, long hair, short hair with colors of white, gray, black, brown and shades in between. Masks of all kinds, from the delicately embroidered one from Mexico to the multitude of light blue disposable ones, worn to keep each other safe. Each mask stretched a bit to contain the smiles and the voices that spoke forth in greeting. We came with energy, some moving fast and some slow, some with canes, one pushing a walker.  

We were excited and grateful to meet in person for this first gathering of Mosaic Mennonite Women.  We looked forward to our time together as sisters in Christ and Women of Faith.  We prayed that the Holy Spirit would prepare the way for God’s God’s work through Jesus Christ in our lives.  We believe that each of us is beloved of God and that God will meet us where we are.  We also believe that we need each other, our sisters in Christ, to thrive and to survive. 

On Saturday, September 25, Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church was the location.  We met from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm around tables, singing, praying, talking with each other, doing a craft, sharing a meal, and listening to an inspiring message by Pastor Charlene Smalls of Ripple (Allentown, PA) congregation.  Pastor Charlene spoke on the Conference’s theme, “Women of Remarkable Faith and the Issues they Face.”  A Zoom option was offered from 10:oo am to 12:00 pm, with Indonesian and Spanish interpretations available.   

Pastor Charlene shared a smorgasbord of insights, affirmations, and challenges. She read Proverbs 31 and highlighted the stories of Ruth and Deborah who were not perfect, but faithful followers and leaders. We laid a burden at the cross and took a diamond with us, multifaceted and beautiful to represent our God-given beauty and value. Relationship with God and each other is what powers our inner batteries as we were invited to check the status of our cell phones batteries. Pastor Charlene looked over the true mosaic of women present and affirmed our oneness and our uniqueness. What do we all have in common? We are all created in the image of God and fundamentally connected with God and each other. It’s about relationship.

The worship time was an invitation to grow closer and go deeper into love for Jesus.  Prayer flags swirled and danced in colorful praise as we sang in English and Spanish. Later it was fun to decorate a prayer box, choosing scripture promises and adding prayers of our own. 

As we gathered to say goodbye, women responded with highlights of this day for them.  Many commented on the joy of being together, “juntos,” as one sister said, “Together in one room, in one language of love.  I have joy in my heart.  I’m very happy, muy contento.  I want to come back next week!”   

Others described a time of refuge, the joy of making new friends, deepening faith, an incredible experience, and many expressions of gratitude for all who made this day possible. 

Pastor Letty led us in the closing and benediction as we found a partner and prayed for each other, anointing each other with oil for blessing and sending.  She invited us into this exercise of grace by telling us that we may not understand all the words, but we should relax, feel welcomed, and deeply connected as Mosaic sisters.  We lingered in the hum of prayers in different languages.  These were shared moments of bonding, of tenderness and love and blessing.  This is the living experience of mosaic. 

Conference Board Update: September 2021

by

The Mosaic Conference Board met September 20, 2021 to prepare for the annual Assembly and to review a process for conversation with Dock Mennonite Academy in response to allegations of misconduct in March 2021. The Conference board meets bimonthly. Most meetings are a hybrid combination of virtual and in-person attendance, so that members can attend across the Conference’s wide geography.

Process with Dock Academy

The Board reviewed a process prepared by the Ministerial Committee and the Conference Related Ministries (CRM) Committee for further conversation with the leadership of Dock Mennonite Academy. The Board affirmed the proposed process to move forward, rooted in the Conference’s agreement with CRMs (of Community and Accountability) and the Giving and Receiving Counsel document for credentialed leaders.

Conference leaders will be meeting with leaders from Dock Academy in October to review the process. More information will be available in the coming weeks as this process continues.

New member congregations and ministries

In preparation for Assembly, the Board affirmed Iglesia Menonita Pena de Horeb (Philadelphia, PA) and Faith Chapel (Los Angeles, CA) as new member congregations and The Midian Project (Charleston, WV) as a new Conference Related Ministry (CRM). These memberships will be officially affirmed and blessed in the annual delegate session in November. Information to introduce these congregations and ministries to the Conference will soon be available through the Mosaic Newsletter and website.

Annual Assembly pivot to online

The Board approved a change from in-person to virtual Assembly participation with localized watch parties due to the current COVID conditions, our geographic spread, and our diverse constituency. The delegate sessions will be held on Zoom from 1-3pm Eastern/10am-12pm Pacific on Saturday, November 6. The annual worship will be broadcast from a central location with watch parties for delegates across the Conference community at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific. More information regarding opportunities to gather as small groups for Conference worship will be coming in the next few weeks.

Completing a Leg of the Journey

by

Merlin Hartman, of Franconia (PA) Mennonite Church, recently completed six years of Conference board service. 

As I have served on the Mosaic Board with Merlin Hartman, I’ve learned how much Merlin enjoys bicycling. I often ask Merlin about his biking, something he does almost daily. In response, Merlin would share, very humbly, of the various places he has been riding, as well as the vast number of miles he has logged (over 25,000 miles, to date).

Recently, Merlin Hartman, of Franconia (PA) Mennonite Church completed another “leg of the journey,” as he concluded six years of service on the Mosaic Conference Board.

At the July 19 meeting, the Board honored and celebrated Merlin’s years of service among us with a delicious meal, sharing of memories and reflections, and presenting Merlin with a gift of appreciation. Our gathering was in the newly renovated Conference offices. While there, we were able to see the three beautiful, wooden Mosaic tables, hand-crafted and donated by Merlin to the Mosaic office.

Two of the three wooden Mosaic tables hand-crafted by Merlin in use at the Mosaic office.

Recently, I asked Merlin a few questions about himself and his service on the Mosaic Board.  

Q: What did you enjoy most about your time of service on the Board? 

Hartman: Getting to know different people from different churches and cultures.  It reminded me of working at Hatfield (PA) Quality Meats, in that I worked with people from 13 countries, speaking six different languages at different times. 

Q: What is a highlight that stands out to you from your six years on the Board? 

Hartman: We had two very good chair people in charge while I was on the Board.  After much discussion, they would sum up the discussion and ask for a vote. 

Q: What advice would you offer to Mosaic Conference moving forward? 

Hartman: After some discussion, I would suggest, before voting, to check out the Bible when disagreements are floating around the Conference. 

Q: What’s a Scripture verse or passage that is particularly meaningful to you and why? 

Hartman: This is hard to narrow down, but I will pick Hebrews 12:1-3.  We are to run with perseverance (don’t give up), run together, get rid of the extra weight, and look to our leader of the race, Jesus. 

Q: What do you like to do for fun (besides biking)? 

Hartman: I have many hobbies.  They are playing many games with family and friends, fishing, woodworking, reading books, and traveling. 

Q: What are adjectives people who know you well would use to describe you? 

Hartman: I am quiet and involved.  I have been on four Boards – Calvary Hour, Franconia Mennonite Church, Penn View Christian School, and Conference. 

Q: What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you? 

Hartman: I would have never made it as a Sunday School teacher if not for my partners the first two years, filling in the times of silence.  They filled in the gap times. 

Merlin Hartman (left) with Conference Moderator (and author), Ken Burkholder (right). Photo by Kristine McClain.

I’ve appreciated Merlin’s contributions to the Board, particularly his genuine Christian faith, calm presence, and the way he is “quick to listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19).  Thank you, Merlin, for your commitment and dedication to the Board.  And, thank you, Mary (Merlin’s spouse), for your support and encouragement.

A Church For All Who Thirst: Introducing Peña de Horeb

by

“Peña de Horeb Church has the vision to make disciples of people who are on the streets,” says Pastor Dania Marisa Hernández of Peña de Horeb. “And God is transforming their lives and their families.”

Peña de Horeb is a small congregation in south Philadelphia, PA that began in 2018. Their vision is to make disciples and become a family where all the members establish a deep relationship with Jesus. They desire to equip members to carry out the Great Commission in a church where Jesus is the head and we are His body.

Though the pandemic has impacted the church in a variety of ways, currently about 30 people are regularly participating. “Despite the current situation of the pandemic, God has kept us together,” reports Pastor Dania.” We trust that God sustains us and keeps us and God is providing the spiritual and economic growth of the church.”

The congregation will be welcomed into Mosaic Conference during the Assembly on November 6, 2021.

Pastor Dania, at the podium, with members of the church during a worship service. Photo provided by Peña de Horeb.

“We feel blessed to be received by Mosaic Conference. It is a gift from God,” Pastor Dania shares. “We are a church that desires this kind of support so that we can bless and benefit others, and share the Gospel.” She is thankful for early and continuing support from Pastor Aldo Siahaan and Pastor Beny Krisbianto.

Pastor Dania and the church hope to receive support, opportunities for networking, and spiritual enrichment from Mosaic Conference. Through relationships with Lead Minister, Marta Castillo, Marco Güete, Aldo Siahaan, Beny Krisbianto, Noel Santiago, and hosting the Mosaic staff meeting in June, they are making connections and learning about the Conference. They are eager to develop leaders and bring new people into the Conference to be connected to Mosaic’s work.

God gave Pastor Dania the desire to serve from a young age. Born in Nicaragua into a family that offered support and hospitality to missionaries, she traveled across her country, focused on addressing poverty and the needs of the people she encountered.

After moving to Philadelphia, Pastor Dania became a part of the Centro de Alabanza congregation. There she learned the Mennonite vision of reaching out to others and of community service. She studied through IBA (Instituto Biblico Anabautista). Pastor Dania has a transportation business and takes advantage of any opportunity to share the Gospel.

With the blessing and support of the leadership of Centro de Alabanza, she started a small group Bible study in her garage and eventually moved into a worship space.

A church trip and picnic in July 2021. Photo provided by Peña de Horeb.

In the early days of the Bible study, someone invited a group of ex-convicts to come and participate in the service of her home. Though she was frightened, Dania trusted God, and those 15 ex-convicts became a part of what would become a new congregation.

Peña de Horeb now has a building at 11th and Washington Avenues in Philadelphia and continues to be deeply connected to people on the streets and outcasts in society.

The name, Peña de Horeb (“Rock of Horeb”), comes from Exodus 17:6. It is the rock that God commanded Moses to strike in order for the Israelites to have water to drink. That name came to Pastor Dania in the midst of prayer, as she was seeking direction about the new ministry God was calling her to start. She felt God directly sharing with her this name, recognizing that the church can be a place for those in need to drink the living, liberating water that Jesus offers.

She felt God directly sharing with her this name, recognizing that the church can be a place for those in need to drink the living, liberating water that Jesus offers.

Video produced by Jonnathan Campoverde

Home

by

Another summer day 
Has come and gone away 
In Paris and Rome 
But I wanna go home …  

Let me go home 
I’m just too far from where you are 
I wanna go home 

Sunset in Bandung, Indonesia, from the balcony of Hendy’s apartment when he lived there. 
Photo provided by Hendy Matahelemual.

These are lyrical excerpts from the song, “Home,” by Michael Bublé. Somehow this song keeps coming back to my mind.   

The reason is obvious. I miss my hometown. Yes, I would rather be in Bandung, Indonesia right now, rather than Paris, Rome, Philadelphia, or anywhere in the world. Bandung is not only the city where I was born and raised, but it is also the city where I met many friends, found my calling in life, married my wife, and first held my oldest child.   

It has been three years since I’ve been back home in Indonesia. The current immigration policy and laws, in addition to the pandemic, do not make it easy for me to travel back home. That is why I wish there were a magical door that I could step through and take me there in a second, satisfying my longing, even for a short time.   

What do I miss? I miss the food, the sound of adhan (Islamic call to prayer) in the air, and the food carts that sell food right at your front door. I miss the morning breeze from the mountain and the color of the sky at dusk. Maybe the saying is right: there is no place like home.   

I’m lucky to have beautiful memories, and I know that not everyone shares my feeling about their hometown. Many have trauma, pain, and tragic memories, causing them to search for another place to call “home” someday. Others simply cannot go back, for numerous reasons, to the place they once called “home.”   

Where do we find home then? Where do you find a safe place? Where you can find a place that can replenish your soul?   

The psalmist wrote, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10, NRSV).  

Our true home is not in this world. We are just simply passing through. That is why there will always be a longing for home, even when you already at your home. Our bodies will always belong to this world, but our spirits belong with God.  

Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2, NLT) 

Jesus is already showing me the way, and he is there already waiting for us. And I’m not alone now. I have my spiritual family all over the world. I call home any place I am with Jesus and his church.   

On Being Community in the Time of a Plague

by

I’ve been doing some ongoing reading to help root my leadership and response as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.  N.T. Wright is a widely respected, Anglican theologian from the United Kingdom.  This summer, I picked up his short response to the pandemic from last year, entitled, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (Zondervan, 2020).  Initially, I listened to the audio version on my drive to MennoCon this summer in July, but I also bought a hard copy for further investigation.  

N. T. Wright is a helpful guide in this time.  The short book began through a provocation from Time magazine for a response to the pandemic.  At only 76 pages, it’s a quick read, and at only five hours, a quick listen as well.  

Wright is not an easily moved character.  He’s deeply rooted in both the history of the church and Biblical narrative.  I appreciate his steadiness in the face of conspiracy, polarity, and emotion.  Wright reminds us that pandemics and plagues happen.  They are part of our human story and experience. He invites us to both intentional lament and response that takes the time seriously, to extend the witness of Christ.   

In the past, the church has responded to plague and pandemic with care for the most vulnerable.  This is the consistent invitation of Jesus toward those of us who follow in the Way.  This is not a disconnect.  The church’s history of care is retold in the book.   

Book Cover © Copyright 2021 by HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Wright also suggests that much of the Western healthcare concept began within the care of the church.  This is important to remember when we consider our faithful response.  The church collectively, and Christians individually, are invited to be part of the healing of the world in physical, spiritual, psychological and social realms.  Wright urges us to not cede this space of healing to institutions outside of the church itself in the day of state-sponsored healthcare like in the UK, or in our context of large, corporate, non-profit and for-profit structures.  The church is about healing, and caring for the most vulnerable. 

“The call to Jesus’ followers, then, as they confront their own doubts and those of the world through tears and from behind locked doors, is to be sign-producers for God’s kingdom.” -N.T. Wright, God and the Pandemic, pg. 64. 

A second observation of caution is the possibility of increased privatization of religious practice through our move to online worshipping communities.  While some of this critique may be generational (Wright is 72 years old), I find resonance in his invitation to maintain a faithful, real-time presence. The virtual world is a realm where the proclamation of Christ is necessary too.  Contemporary technology allows us to extend into more spaces and places than we could have imagined, even pre-pandemic.  At the same time, there’s something sacred in the real time gathering of faithful people face-to-face.  This is a both/and – not an either/or – for our future. 

Wright gives us a helpful charge and grounding with this book.  Though already dated, as it was published in 2020 and the pandemic has persisted beyond what the writer had gauged, I appreciate the reflection that Wright offers and the space it helps hold open for the church to respond in ways that extend the faithful witness of Christ into a tumultuous time. 

This will not be the last pandemic in the human story. We clearly are not yet through this variation of plague and pandemonium.  The challenge remains for us to continue in faith, hope, and love in the way of Christ, empowered by the Spirit to extend peace in our worship and witness, in our healing and steadiness in times of trial and turmoil.   

A study guide accompanies Wright’s book, to use with small groups or your congregation. 

Why Me?

by

As a hospital chaplain, I often encounter people on the worst days of their lives.  As I sit with people receiving difficult diagnoses or needing to make challenging decisions, I am often asked, “Why is this happening?”  

After years of being present with people through sudden deaths, extreme physical pain, or unimaginable trauma, I have yet to have an answer to the question of why.  

When life feels so illogical, it is logical to want a reason or explanation. When the world around us feels anything but clear and simple, any sense of clarity is desired. I get it. 

A couple of months ago, I was diagnosed with leukemia. Seven years ago, I battled leukemia and after chemotherapy, fortunately entered remission. My doctors told me that my leukemia was not curable but treatable, so the chances of recurrence was extremely high. Most people experience recurrence within one to five years, but I was told, if I pass the five-year mark, my chances of experiencing a longer remission (10-20 years) is very high. When I reached my five-year anniversary of being cancer-free, I had a party, with a cake shaped in the number “5.”  

So when my leukemia returned a few months ago, seven years after remission, I was shocked. In fact, I was even more shocked and angry than when I initially was diagnosed. I thought I had beaten the odds. This was not what I expected. My anger manifested into depression and bitterness to the world around me. It was not fair.  

Sue Conrad Howes received chemo for leukemia in 2014. Photo by Michael A. Howes.

I processed my anger and grief with close friends and a counselor. For years, I sat with people as they processed their traumas and disappointments, asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Now I was the one asking the question. Of course, no one had any answer. Nor should they. I am grateful no one said, “Everything happens for a reason,” because that is not true. Sometimes awful things happen, and there is no reason.  

Eventually I asked the question differently, “Why should this not be happening to me?”

Eventually I asked the question differently, “Why should this not be happening to me?” Why did I think I was any more special than anyone else? Sometimes things happen that we have no control over. No matter how well we live or pray or how many casseroles we take to our elderly neighbors, life can throw us a huge curve ball combined with a sucker punch. We don’t need to be happy and upbeat when bad things happen, nor do we have to figure out the “why”. 

I began thinking about other things in my life. I didn’t ignore my leukemia, but I realized I never asked why something is happening to me when things were going well – like when my leukemia went into remission seven years earlier, before all my chemo treatments were completed, or when we sold our house, the buyers offered to pay us $25,000 more than asking. I didn’t ask why either of those times, but I celebrated and gave thanks.  

Is it possible to not ask why with bad things in the same way I don’t ask why with good? Am I able to honor both? Am I able to say that I am no better or worse than another person, but that my life circumstances are different?  

How I accept and strive forward with those circumstances is what makes the difference. Now I spend time asking what am I going to do about this rather than asking why is this happening. Suddenly, the question now gives me an opportunity to give an answer, rather than saying, “I don’t know.”  

Now I know.