Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Giving Back/Devolviendo

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(Desplazarse por Español)

“We are creating something new,” shares Danilo Sanchez, Youth Formation Pastor with Eastern District and Franconia Conference. “We have been given permission to try new ideas, and see failures as learning experiences. It is freeing to have that space to be creative.” 

Danilo and family

Danilo has served in this role since February 2019 as the new youth formation team was being formed. The idea for this team emerged from a recent review of the conference’s youth ministry work, in which a geographic model would be used for staffing youth ministry which is currently focused on the Lehigh Valley, Lansdale, and Philadelphia. 

This unique model is something that Danilo really appreciates. “It is especially important to have conference ministers who can speak the language of the churches they accompany, and have a sense of cultural understanding,” Danilo shares. He sees the team’s work as strengthening the overall mission of the conference. 

A geographic, rather than centered, model has meant that regional gatherings for youth leaders can be more accessible. Many churches do not have a full-time youth pastor, so having regional gatherings with meetings that aren’t always during the workday can allow part-time and volunteer youth leaders to participate more easily. 

The churches that Danilo works with are mostly in the Lehigh Valley but also some Spanish-speaking and multicultural churches throughout the region. As a Youth Formation Pastor, Danilo provides resources to youth leaders and informs them of different events. On a quarterly basis he visits the congregations for worship and to meet with members of the church

The other members of the Youth Formation Team currently are Brooke Martin and Hendy Stevan Matahelemual. Together they plan events to engage youth and leaders in leadership development. This past September they organized a student leadership retreat, and they continue to stay in contact with those youth and plan for an expanded gathering next year. 

“As I look at my faith and leadership journey, I think back to the leaders in the church who developed me, challenged me and comforted me,” reflects Danilo. “I really appreciated that.” He is grateful that in his role as a pastor at Whitehall and Ripple he is able to give back to the youth in those congregations. When he was given the opportunity to also do that at the conference level, with a wider impact, he was glad to do so.

Danilo grew up near Reading, PA and was part of Boyertown Mennonite. It was a place that he felt included, welcomed, and encouraged to be a leader. He taught Bible study, helped to lead worship, and preached at least once in high school. These experiences encouraged him to think of himself as a leader in the church. It was in college that he began to sense a call to youth ministry. Nelson Shank, who is still pastor at Boyertown, connected him with Steve Kriss who at the time was Director of Leadership Cultivation for Franconia Conference. Danilo worked with Steve during his summers in college at Eastern University, and through that work got to know congregations throughout the conference. 

“I was excited to help call other young leaders and participate in their development” Danilo remembers. “I am also happy to help strengthen the work of the conference.” 

When asked about his free time, Danilo responded, “I don’t have too much free time, but I make sure to keep sabbath.” During his first year as a pastor, he found it a challenging discipline to practice, but was encouraged by other pastors, especially Rose Bender at Whitehall, to prioritize it. As he has added different roles to his work and feels pulled in various directions, Danilo has embraced self-care and sabbath, and encourages others to do so as well. 

During his sabbath time, Danilo likes to get out of the city for the day. Danilo also enjoys playing worship songs on his guitar, simple woodworking, and spending time with his two young daughters. They enjoy playing legos or going on walks.

“El aspecto más gratificante de este rol es que estamos creando algo nuevo. En la conferencia estamos en una nueva era de formación.. Se nos ha dado permiso para probar nuevas ideas y ver los fracasos como experiencias de aprendizaje. Es liberador tener ese espacio para ser creativo ”, comparte Danilo Sánchez, Pastor de Formación Juvenil de la Conferencia de Franconia.

Danilo ha desempeñado este cargo desde febrero de 2019 mientras estaba formando el nuevo equipo de formación juvenil. La idea para este equipo surgió de una revisión reciente del trabajo del ministerio juvenil de la conferencia, en el cual se empezaría a utilizar un modelo geográfico para el personal del ministerio juvenil que actualmente se localiza en Lehigh Valley, Lansdale y Filadelfia. .

Este modelo único es algo que Danilo realmente aprecia. “Es especialmente importante tener ministros de la conferencia que puedan hablar el idioma de las iglesias a las que acompañan y tener un sentido de comprensión cultural”, comparte Danilo. Él ve el trabajo del equipo como el fortalecimiento de la misión general de la conferencia.

Un modelo geográfico, en lugar de centrado, ha significado que las reuniones regionales para líderes juveniles pueden ser más accesibles. Muchas iglesias no tienen un pastor de jóvenes a tiempo completo, por lo que tener reuniones regionales, reuniones que no siempre son durante la jornada laboral, puede permitir que los líderes juveniles de medio tiempo y voluntarios tengan facilidad para participar. Las iglesias con las que trabaja Danilo se encuentran principalmente en el Valle de Lehigh, pero también hacen parte algunas iglesias multiculturales y de habla hispana de toda la región. 

Como pastor de formación juvenil, Danilo proporciona recursos a líderes juveniles y les informa sobre diferentes eventos. Trimestralmente visita las congregaciones para adorar y reunirse con miembros de las iglesias.

Los otros miembros del Equipo de Formación Juvenil actualmente son Brooke Martin y Hendy Stevan Matahelemual, y juntos planean eventos para involucrar a los jóvenes y líderes en el desarrollo del liderazgo. En septiembre organizaron un retiro de liderazgo estudiantil, y continúan manteniéndose en contacto con esos jóvenes y planean una reunión ampliada el próximo año.

 “Al mirar mi viaje de fe y liderazgo, pienso en los líderes de la iglesia que me ayudaron a  desarrollar, me desafiaron y me consolaron, realmente aprecié eso ”, reflexiona Danilo. Está agradecido de que en su papel de pastor en Whitehall y Ripple pueda retribuir a los jóvenes de esas congregaciones. Y cuando tuvo la oportunidad de hacerlo también a nivel de conferencia, con un impacto más amplio, se alegró de hacerlo.

Danilo creció cerca de Reading, Pensilvania y fue parte de la iglesia menonita Boyertown. Era un lugar en el que se sentía incluido, bienvenido y alentado a ser un líder. Enseñó estudio bíblico, ayudó a dirigir la adoración y predicó al menos una vez en la escuela secundaria. Estas experiencias lo alentaron a pensar en sí mismo como un líder en la iglesia, y fue en la universidad cuando comenzó a sentir un llamado al ministerio juvenil. Nelson Shank, quien todavía es pastor en Boyertown, lo conectó con Steve Kriss, quien en ese momento era Director de Cultivo de Liderazgo para la Conferencia de Franconia. Danilo trabajó con Steve durante sus veranos en la universidad de Eastern University, y a través de ese trabajo conoció a las congregaciones durante toda la conferencia.

“Estaba emocionado de ayudar a llamar a otros líderes jóvenes y participar en su desarrollo. También estoy feliz de ayudar a fortalecer el trabajo de la conferencia ”, reflexiona Danilo.

Cuando se le preguntó acerca de su tiempo libre, Danilo respondió: “No tengo mucho tiempo libre, pero me aseguro de guardar el día sabático”. Durante su primer año como pastor, encontró una disciplina difícil de practicar, pero se animó por otros pastores, especialmente Rose Bender en Whitehall, para priorizarlo. A medida que ha agregado diferentes roles a su trabajo y se siente atraído en varias direcciones, Danilo ha abrazado el autocuidado y el sábado, y alienta a otros a hacerlo también.

Durante su tiempo de reposo le gusta salir de la ciudad por un día. A Danilo también le gusta tocar canciones de adoración con su guitarra, trabajar la madera con sencillez y pasar tiempo con sus dos hijas jugando legos.

What I’m Reading: Baseball, Dr. King, Missiology, and More

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by Jeff Wright, Leadership Minister

What passes for winter in southern California gives way to springtime by February.  As I write, it is 81°F in my home in Riverside, California and 28°F in Souderton, PA.  Pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training. Now is the perfect time to read a good book about baseball, Ballpark: Baseball in the American City. The author, Paul Goldberg, is a Pulitzer Prize–winning architecture critic, and he writes with a concise understatement about the intersections of the greatest sport ever created and the magic of urban architecture. Baseball is a game of pastures brought into the city. We Mennonites might have some missional concepts to learn from such an exercise.

For Black History Month, I re-read A Testament of Hope:  The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. This time around, I have been particularly moved by Dr. King’s early writings and speeches.  In his 1958 essay, “An Experiment in Love,”  Dr King shapes a powerful theological reminder that Christian social justice begins with Agape – the ideal of sacrificial love. “Agape,” writes King, “ is a willingness to go to any length to restore community.” May we have ears to hear such a profoundly simple and difficult word.

I’m always on the lookout for new voices in urban missiology.  Sean Benesh is a Portland-based urban church planter and social entrepreneur whom I can’t get enough of.  It might be easy for us Mennonites to dismiss Benesh as far too evangelical or hipster for us but this would be a big mistake. Benesh’s latest two books, The New Cartographers: Helping Social Entrepreneurship Develop a Map for Local Church Ministry + Church Planting in the New Frontier and Intrepid: Navigating the Intersection of Social Entrepreneurship + Church Planting, are full of practical ideas for launching new expressions of the church that are sustaining and sustainable. Benesh says with a utility of words what I’ve been wishing to say about ministry for the past thirty years.

Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery is a powerful book that my small group is reading… and feeling the weight of its truth. Authors Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah remind me, as a thirteenth-generation  American immigrant from England, that the good news of the gospel often is first bad news for the way I’ve assumed the world works. This book has become a part of my penitential reflections during Lent.

Finally, I’m enjoying The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity.  Postmodern Mennonites are not always comfortable with “pietism.” We tend to equate it with ignoring the world as it is, and assuming the world that is to come is not a healed version of this world. Early pietism was not so stained by quietism.  Indeed, Pietism had a profound impact on the Anabaptist movement in North America. Brethren in Christ Bishop Perry Engle said, “I like to think these bold and serious-minded believers [18th century Anabaptists in Pennsylvania] were ‘sweetened’ by their personal experience of a heartfelt and life-changing relationship with Christ.” As a lifelong  Anabaptist, no one has yet accused me of being “sweetened” in the Lord. But as I grow older, it seems a compliment worth seeking.

Seeing God in the "Image of a Stranger"

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by Jim Conrad, Blooming Glen congregation

In Holy Envy, Barbara Brown Taylor quotes Jonathan Sacks, who said, “The supreme religious challenge is to see God’s image in one who is not in our image.”

The 11 US volunteers who worked in Honduras the last week of January with Healthy Ninos. (Photo courtesy of Jim Conrad)

While in Honduras in January with Healthy Niños Honduras, I was privileged to experience God’s image in many ways as our team of 11 volunteers served five remote villages during our one-week stay. Four members of our team — Linda and Vernon Martin from Salford congregation (Harleysville, PA) and Glenda Bergey and myself from Blooming Glen (PA) congregation—were from Eastern District & Franconia Conference. 

Healthy Niños Honduras (HNH) began in 2017 as a continuation of the MAMA Project in Honduras. HNH is operated primarily by Honduran professionals who welcome teams of volunteers from the U.S. to aid the program in their mission of helping children and their families to fight malnutrition. 

To achieve this mission, medical and dental teams (as well as construction crews) travel to remote villages to aid those who have no access to clean water or adequate healthcare. The villagers receive visits from these brigades of workers and volunteers about every six months. An HNH team member connects with the village leader ahead of the brigade’s visit to be assured of safety and assess the specific needs for the brigade to effectively prepare. 

One of the many children who come to the Healthy Ninos clinic for healthcare. (Photo courtesy of Jim Conrad)

Some of the brigade pour concrete floors for a few village homes where only earthen floors had existed. Meanwhile, other brigade members distribute and demonstrate how water filtration units can be used by villagers to provide clean water. Medical and dental services are offered by the Honduran and U.S. medical team. Deworming medication and Vitamin A are given to everyone over two years of age. 

Some volunteers check patients’ vision and provide reading glasses. Other team members distribute gifts to each family, generously donated by individuals and businesses from the US. All children are evaluated for nutritional well-being. For those children needing further nutritional attention, the child and mother travel to HNH’s home base. There the mother receives education regarding nutrition while the child receives treatment. During their stay, children receive schooling, appropriate for each child’s age.

One of the visitors to the clinic, with Jim Conrad. (Photo courtesy of Jim Conrad)

During my week, I was able to see the faces and hear the voices of the village residents as they demonstrated deep appreciation for the care they received from the volunteers. Wishing to be seen, listened to, and examined with care was important for recipients as well as the caregiver during these “holy moments.” As a retired physician, I witnessed the image of God in many unfamiliar faces. I will cherish these images, etched in my memory, for years to come.

Many teams from within our conference have made this journey of caring in the past and many more will in the years to come. If you are interested in joining a team, visit to www.healthyninos.org.

From Baseball Cards to Conference Budgets

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By Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

Conrad with wife Jo

When Conrad Martin was young, he loved collecting baseball cards. He was fascinated by the statistics recorded on the back of the cards. Conrad would keep ledgers of the stats from year to year, noting who had the most home runs or strikeouts and who won awards. His mother noticed this and suggested that he study accounting once he got to high school. 

Conrad’s mother was right; accounting was where Conrad’s skills were perfectly utilized. Later, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, VA), and a Master’s degree in Economic Development from Eastern University (St. Davids, PA). 

Now Conrad shares his gift for numbers with Eastern District & Franconia Conference, as the Director of Finance, a role he has had since 2001. He is responsible for the conference budget and assists church treasurers and congregational finance leaders. Conrad also has the role of Chief Operating Officer for FMC Properties (the property-holding company of the conference). 

 Conrad has worked for Mennonite organizations or Mennonite-owned businesses all his life. “It is my way of giving back to the church and serving with it,” says Conrad. “It keeps me connected with the work that God is doing through the church and his people.”

Conrad’s gifts in accounting and administration have taken him worldwide. In the late 1980s, he served as an accountant at a hospital in Shirati, Tanzania, with Eastern Mennonite Missions. In the early 1990s, Conrad served with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Bangladesh for over four years. Three of those years he administered a job creation program in Dhaka. He later returned to Tanzania for four years in the late 1990s as a project manager at a microcredit facility with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). 

Conrad grew up in Greencastle, a small town in south-central Pennsylvania. “I come from a small, mostly white, mostly Christian community, so working in other countries with other cultures has given me a broader worldview,” says Conrad. “There are many things that other cultures, religions, and people can teach me.” 

Conrad’s work internationally as well as within the conference has given him many cross-cultural opportunities. “The more I learn about different people, the more I come to know the fullness of God and his creation,” reflects Conrad. “Interacting with people who look or act differently than the way I was raised has helped me to also understand how similar we are.” 

In the conference office, Conrad’s job allows him to do a wide variety of things in a day. He works with checks and deposits, payroll and insurance, property maintenance and rent receipts, month-end reports and yearly budgeting, government forms and investment management, and congregational tax-exemptions. “Any of these things can pop up on any given day,” shares Conrad, “so there is always something different to look forward to.”

From baseball cards to balancing million dollar conference budgets, Conrad has found ways to use his gifts to honor God. “It is rewarding to be able to use the gifts God has given me,” Conrad says. “It also gives me satisfaction when the auditors look at the conference books and give us a clean audit.”

Finding Inspiration Within the Church

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“Too much time is spent in congregations desiring particular gifts or people to do certain tasks,” reflects Mike Clemmer, a Leadership Minister for Eastern District and Franconia Conference. “I truly believe that God has supplied each congregation with all the gifts they need, we just need to identify them.” 

The Clemmer family

Mike has served with the conference for nearly five years and is the Leadership Minister for Franconia (Telford, PA) and Swamp (Quakertown, PA) congregations. He has also chaired the credentialing committee and served on the ministerial committee for six years. 

“There was a point when I heard undertones of frustration with the conference among some people and decided it was time to get more involved in the work of the conference, to be part of the solution, rather than just focusing on the problems,” Mike says. “It was around that time that I was asked if I would be a Leadership Minister for Franconia Conference.”

As a Leadership Minister, Mike may take a phone call from a pastor or board chair who wants to bounce an idea off of him or seek another perspective. Recently with the Swamp congregation, Mike enjoyed being part of the planning process with the pastors as they organized a day retreat for their leadership team. Mike also welcomes being a part of pastoral search processes and appreciates getting to know more people within the congregation and seeing how God works through the groups coming together.

Mike is excited in his work when he sees the diversity of church members working together, from business people, to farmers, to stay-at-home parents, to professionals. “I’m a people-person,” says Mike. “I’m encouraged by the passion found in both lay leaders and pastors, and how they can all work together in a congregation, even if they don’t always agree on everything.”

Mike & April Clemmer
Mike & April Clemmer

Mike isn’t comfortable with just the inward workings of a church, however, and encourages churches to move beyond themselves. “I’m passionate about encouraging churches to look outward into the community and see where God is working,” comments Mike. “Churches want to be connected to the community, but often need guidance about how to plug in.” 

Mike welcomes opportunities to meet with pastors and encourage them. “We can forget that pastors are people with feelings and personal lives,” Mike explains. “Sometimes my job is to remind the board or lay leaders that pastors also have struggles and need to take breaks.”

Mike grew up in the Souderton (PA) congregation and was a member there until he felt a call to seminary at age 42. For 21 years, prior to seminary, he worked for Moyer & Son. From 2005-19, Mike served as pastor of Towamencin Mennonite Church (Kulpsville, PA). “At the time I started working for the conference, there was no one else on staff that had been born and raised in the conference,” Mike says. “Sometimes people want to hear about where we’ve been in order to better understand where we are.”

Many in the Conference and community have been blessed by Mike’s flowers!

 Mike recently moved to Strasburg, PA and is now the lead pastor at Maple Grove Mennonite Church (Atglen, PA). As grandparents, Mike and his wife April relish living closer to their three grandchildren to see them on a more regular basis.  

When he isn’t working, Mike loves to run; he once ran in the Boston Marathon. He appreciates sports at all levels, even going to high school games when he doesn’t know any players. He also enjoys raising dahlia flowers.

Building Connections in Florida

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by Mary Nitzsche, Associate Executive Minister, Marta Castillo, Leadership Minister of Intercultural Formation, and Javier Marquez, Intercultural Communication Associate through the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP)

Spending a long January weekend enjoying 85-degree temperatures was only one benefit conference team members Marta Castillo, Mary Nitzsche, and Javier Marquez experienced during their recent visit to Florida.

Mary & Marta with Florida pastors and family (Photo: Javier Marquez)

The primary purpose of the trip was to learn to know the pastors of eight congregations (formerly all members of Southeast Conference) who are in the process of joining our new conference. Marta, Mary, and Javier joined nine pastors and their Leadership Minister, Marco Güete, at their quarterly cluster meeting in Sarasota, FL. The day was filled with worship, personal and congregational sharing, prayer, fellowship, tasty and abundant Colombian food, laughter, and a review of the transfer of credential process. 

The team was warmly welcomed by the Florida pastors, some who are just beginning ministry and many who have been in ministry for over twenty years. Most of these pastors served in other professions as they began ministry or planted new churches. While their countries of origin varied (Colombia, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Mexico), a unifying spirit of faith, mission, and deep respect permeated their interactions.

During the meetings, pastors shared the pain of their former conference breaking apart and choosing to leave Mennonite Church USA. Desiring to remain in the denomination, the group carefully explored which conference they wished to join. After much prayer and discernment, the pastors felt God leading them to join our new conference. Their discernment process was guided by assessing which conference best aligned with their beliefs and values. Many of the pastors also had prior connections with Steve Kriss, Executive Conference Minister, and other conference leaders, which led to a strong sense of trust as well.  

We ate well! (Photo: Javier Marquez)

On Sunday, our team was also warmly received in local congregations for worship. Mary preached at College Hill Mennonite Church in the morning while Marta preached at Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Shalom in the afternoon. Both congregations are located in Tampa, FL. After the services, we were hosted by church members for a flavorful meal representing their countries of origin.

Monday morning, several Credentials Committee members joined Marta and Mary via Zoom, for a conversation with four of the pastors. Most of the pastors will be transferring their ministry credentials to our conference. When asked about hopes for their interactions with the conference, they expressed a desire to build more connections, foster collegial relationships of mutual respect, give and receive mutual aid, and offer ideas for the growth of God’s kingdom. These congregations have much to share about connecting to the local community, particularly in urban ministry. 

Prayer with the Florida cluster. (Photo: Javier Marquez)

Reflecting on their experiences, Marta and Mary are convinced these pastors and congregations will bless our new conference.  The Spanish-speaking churches and leaders will bring support and new energy to our existing Spanish-speaking churches and leaders.  They also bring church-planting experience and enthusiasm. Geography will continue to be a challenge in keeping connected; Marco Guete will serve as Leadership Minister to the Florida congregations, essential for keeping connections strong despite the geographic distance. 

While Mary and Marta returned home, Javier stayed on in Florida to collect stories and pictures of pastors and congregations. Look for pastor and congregational profiles in our newsletter this year to continue learning to know how the kingdom of God is growing and flourishing in Florida.

A New Conference Looks Ahead

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by Sue Conrad Howes, West Swamp congregation

“What excites and gives me hope is the endless possibilities,” says conference board member Yvonne Platts, Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life congregation.  “We don’t know what to really expect, which makes us more open to the leading of the Spirit to guide us in the future.” 

Platts and the other members of the new Eastern District and Franconia Conference board are looking forward with anticipation as, effective February 1, 2020,  Eastern District Conference and Franconia Conference began to operate as one, reconciled conference.

Last week, the board approved a budget of just over $1M. Although this combined total seems like a significant amount, one advantage of forming a joint conference is the gained efficiencies of a shared budget, which will stretch these dollars even further. The staff of both conferences have merged (with Eastern District’s former interim conference minister Scott Roth remaining as a Leadership Minister), while current Leadership Ministers are expanding their responsibilities to include more congregations, and new administrative, communication, and community engagement staff are coming on board in the coming months.

Other changes are on the way as well: there will be a new name sometime this year and, likely, new Conference offices by year’s end. The conference website is experiencing an ongoing facelift (MennoniteConferenceX.org) and new paper- and e-newsletters are in development.

The new conference is beginning to act and operate as one community, putting behind over 173 years of division and conflict. 

“The most challenging part of the process is recognizing that it will take time,” reflects executive minister, Steve Kriss.  “We won’t have everything done tomorrow or next week. The process of reconciling and taking two historic communities back into one organizational system will not be seamless.”

Assistant Moderator Angela Moyer, Ripple congregation (Allentown, PA), acknowledges that this will take ongoing work.  “Can we stay engaged in the process of reconciliation or will we just split over the issues of the current day like we did in the 1800s, especially given our current cultural and secular polarities?” she asks.

“A significant challenge we face is to not allow the differences among us to overshadow the essentials that we hold in common,” says Moderator Ken Burkholder, Deep Run East congregation (Perkasie, PA); “mainly our shared Anabaptist faith in Jesus and our mutual commitment to God’s mission in this world.”

Growing pains are inevitable, acknowledges board member Jim Musselman, Zion congregation (Souderton, PA). He hopes, however, that we will continue to listen. “Reconciliation requires a lot of listening. Listening builds trust and community, which leads to renewal.” 

Despite the hard work, conference leaders are amazed at the positive energy coming from so many people. “This has been emotional for both of our conferences,” says Kriss. “There have been tears, but I’ve seen more tears of joy than grief.”

New congregations in several states continue to express interest in joining the Eastern District and Franconia community. By the end of 2020, the new Conference will likely be 20% larger than it is currently.  “This is a significant expansion in a year,” says Kriss. “We will need to cultivate a sense of togetherness in the midst of this exciting growth.” 

Sue Conrad Howes is working as part of the communication team for Eastern District & Franconia Conference during this time of transition. Sue grew up attending Blooming Glen (PA) congregation. She is an ordained pastor in Mennonite Church USA and currently works as a hospital trauma chaplain. Sue recently moved from Lancaster to Quakertown, PA with her husband, Michael, who serves as pastor at West Swamp congregation, where they are both members.

What I’m Reading: Seeing the Unseen

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by Noel Santiago

I’ve been reading and studying The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural World View of the Bible by Dr. Michael Heiser.  I have found Dr. Heiser’s work immensely helpful in providing a framework for understanding the supernatural worldview of the Bible.

Beginning with the idea of a divine council, as noted in Psalms 82:1 where God takes “his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…,” and unpacking what he calls the “Deuteronomy 32 world view” (especially verses 8-9), Heiser brings forth this framework.

The basic idea is that God has a “divine council” comprised of children of God that help administer the work of God. This motif carries through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. After the ministry of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit, humanity—as God’s image bearers—are invited back to a seat at his council.

Much of this framework resonates with my faith upbringing. From the time I can remember, I’ve always had a sense of a spirit realm that was active: one for God’s glory and purpose and the other for the purpose of darkness and corruption. Our church community  would pray, preach, and share with and for people’s salvation to see them come to Christ. We would also pray for the sick and demon-possessed and regularly see persons healed and delivered. Regularly we would take food to a family in need, collect offerings for those who were lacking, serve and practice hospitality. All of these things were part of how we understood and practiced faith.

When I began studying and working in a different culture and context, I had to learn that others practice their faith differently. While I have valued and integrated much of these other expressions and learnings, I often noticed that the realm of the supernatural was underrepresented. It’s not necessarily that others didn’t believe it, but perhaps they focused on it less. Others acknowledged this sphere when it was discussed, but did very little to engage with it. I didn’t always know what to make of this. 

When I discovered this book that highlights the ancient Hebrew and near-eastern worldview,  I found myself identifying deeply with it. For me, this topic accounts for an unseen realm that is at work in interactive ways with the seen realm. We might not always be aware of this interaction but it is more present than we might imagine. 

The challenge, of course, is not only seeking to know and/or understand this unseen realm and its interaction with what we see, touch, and engage; we also need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2b).