Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

missional

The pope is still Catholic

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The pope is still Catholic: And why that might be a good thing for all of us

by Stephen Francis Kriss, skriss@mosaicmennonites.org

Steve Kriss

Listening to CNN commentators the day after Pope Francis was named brought focused attention to a deepening misunderstanding of the church.  The CNN reporter pressed her two guests, suggesting, “Don’t you think it’s time for the Catholic Church to reform?   Will this new Argentine pope bring in a new era reconsidering the role of the priesthood, the idea of same sex unions, a relaxation on the position on contraception?”

The respondent said, “This Pope is still Roman Catholic.”

Again, I listened to another reporter on Saturday morning, this time on NPR, pressing a guest to define the changes that should occur in the Catholic Church under a new papal regime.  The respondent again asserted, “All of those changes that you are alluding to are the positions of mainstream Protestantism in the United States.  And those groups overall are in rapid decline. You’re asking us to create a church that just simply asks people to be nice.  And soon enough people will find out that if all we’re asking is for people to be nice to one another, they might as well just stay at home or find other things to do on Sundays.”

I’m astounded by the attention given to the papal transition this week.   There aren’t too many times when a global leader is appointed with such grandiose ritual and over such a large body.  To put it in perspective, there are more Roman Catholics in the Pittsburgh Diocese (nearly 2 million) than the global population of Mennonite World Conference churches combined (mostly recently almost 1.8 million).  There are roughly as many global adherents to Roman Catholicism as the whole population of India (about 20% of the world’s people).

Western media has been captivated by Pope Francis’ story: the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, the first pope from the Americas.   We watched him pay his hotel bill in Rome and we watched him take a deep silencing breath of prayer before sending the exhilarated but tired crowd at St. Peter’s Square home to rest after the conclave.  So far, I like Pope Francis.

As a Mennonite, I’m not expecting a Pope who will bend to my own theological leanings and understanding.  But for the sake of us all, I’m hoping for a leader willing to justly, fairly, kindly, evenhandedly contend with the scandals and challenges that mark the Catholic Church and weigh heavily on all of us representing the teachings of Christ in an increasingly cynical time in the West.  I wonder if a leader like Francis, who has taken the Jesuit vows of poverty, availability, and service, might be able to open a time of honest and transparent conversation in Catholicism that could cascade to all parts of the global church, provoking authenticity and accessibility even for those of us who lead in Mennonite settings.

So while yes, the Pope is still Catholic, in an age of religious pluralities I don’t expect a pope who is anything less.  But in a time when Christian leadership of all types is rightly open for public conversation and criticism, Francis has this moment to lead in the global Christian movement by incarnating what is good and right about it.  Through his Jesuit convictions, he brings a perspective of willingness to question; through his context in Argentina, he’s learned how to lead in the midst of economic, social, and political turmoil; through his own commitment and character, he’s kicked off a position of piety with acts of genuine approachability.

If he’s able to lead rooted in Catholic identity—to become, in the best of Franciscan tradition, “an instrument of peace”—the words “habemus papum” spoken in a surprising transition at the Vatican this March might just be words of good news for us all.

Congregational leaders discuss Mennonite Education Plan

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by Susan Gingerich, Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Penn View Schoolwide Service Project 002
Students from Penn View Christian School collect baby kits for MAMA Project. Penn View is a participating school in congregational Mennonite Education Plans.

Franconia and Eastern District conference leadership recently joined leaders from 10 congregations to discuss Mennonite education. This annual forum focuses on the Mennonite education support plan (MEP) that congregations provide for students of Quakertown Christian School, Penn View Christian School, Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, and Philadelphia Mennonite High School.

Attendees found this forum helpful as they shared successes, challenges, and opportunities related to mutual aid, accountability, mission, accessibility, and integrity for congregational support plans for students attending the three local Mennonite schools.

Several churches have committees that plan for and oversee the guidelines and financial status of the fund. The Mennonite Education Advocacy Team (MEAT) of Souderton congregation is one such special committee that was formed to advocate for Mennonite education at all levels and for the mission of MEP at Souderton. They have been successful in enhancing respect for informed and intentional choices in both Christian education and public school education. While MEAT looks after the financial piece for the church and families, they also remind the congregation of mutual aid, accountability, and accessibility in order to give the education plan integrity.

Table group discussions affirmed the Mennonite Education Plan as a missional opportunity for congregations to tend the well-being and spiritual development of young children and youth. Church representatives reported that not all congregants see MEP as missional, and a common challenge is meeting the MEP budget in this economic environment.

MEP is an opportunity for churches to invest in young people to raise faithful and radical followers of Christ. Attendees expressed a desire to validate families who choose to support public schools also.

In addition to a time of networking, the principal of each school shared stories of students whose lives are being impacted by MEP support. The schools plan to continue this annual forum to provide encouragement and to assist with programmatic challenges. Churches not involved with MEP that are interested in learning about a support plan may contact any of the participating schools’ principals.

From Lukewarm to Hot Christians, part 2

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Claude Goodby Claude Good, Souderton congregation

The Hidden Agenda Behind the Worm Project

So what is a Lukewarm Christian? Francis Chan wrote a book called Crazy Love. In it he describes the characteristics of a Lukewarm Christian: Lukewarm Christians love others but not as much as they love themselves; their love often comes with strings attached; they give money to charities and the church as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living; they choose what is popular over what is right; they are thankful for their luxuries and comforts but they rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor; they want to do the bare minimum to be “good enough;” they do not live by faith; their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

The author comes to the sobering conclusion that there is no such thing as a “Lukewarm Christian.” It is an oxymoron, meaning that the two words cancel each other out. If Jesus says that He will spit them out of his mouth, it means that they are really not His followers.

If you know you are “lukewarm” and you’d like to let God light a fire in you, the Bible most certainly has the answer. It starts with the words, “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God….” I am told that in the original “to seek” has more of the meaning of “to crave.” Anyone who has an addiction to drugs or alcohol knows what “to crave” means. Some who crave chocolate or sugary foods may even understand – you gotta have it!

An earnest seeking for God is bound to create a love for him and his son Jesus Christ and we naturally want to obey the command, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  We can tell from human experience that if we are in love with someone the easiest thing to do is what we know that person wants. The same is true when we truly love Jesus.

If you are lukewarm, let your imagination run wild. Imagine yourself in a beautiful state, surrounded with deep love and filled with gratitude. God is magnificently creative; just think of what he can do with dust! Three times he tells us that “the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). Try standing in front of a mirror and in wonder and astonishment take note of what God can do with dust.  We all have the attractive choice of being made and remade into in His image.

One of my delightful memories from Mexico City is walking with all our children to the grocery store through scenic back streets. Once when we were almost home, I looked around and in dismay said, “Where’s Rob?!” He was our youngest and about five years-old. We dashed back to the store and looked all over for him. As we returned to the street, we saw a kindly lady leading Rob by the hand and saying, “Is this your house?”  Rob would tearfully say, “No.” and then they would go to the next house with the same question and answer. You can imagine our great relief and gratitude to that kind woman when Rob was back with us again.

So again I say to all of us, “I just want us all to be together forever.”  I want us all to know God and to love God and to care for others so that they may also know God and love God and care for others.  Let’s all be together forever, red-hot Christians, becoming more and more like Jesus.

Read From Lukewarm to Hot Christians, part 1

Pastors walk through transformation together

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Learning Community
Members of Salem, Rockhill, and Doylestown congregations pray for one another at their joint worship service on February 10.

by Emily Ralph, eralphservant@mosaicmennonites.org

When Larry Moyer, pastor of Rockhill congregation, was seriously injured after falling off of the roof of his home in 2011, Randy Heacock, pastor of Doylestown congregation, filled in to preach.  Moyer’s recovery was long and difficult, but throughout the following year he was supported by Heacock and the other pastors in his Learning Community—Bruce Eglinton-Woods, pastor of Salem congregation, and Walter Sawatzky, a member of Plains.

“I valued the support of these pastors,” reflected Moyer, “the prayer support from their congregations, and Walter’s ongoing care of me personally and my family.  Randy made personal visits to my home as I was not able to attend our monthly meetings and on one occasion, the group met at my house.  I felt cared-for during my recovery journey.”

This care and prayer support is only one aspect of the Learning Community that these pastors formed in 2006 in response to conference encouragement to form pastoral support teams.  They invited Sawatzky, who was a Conference Minister at that time, to join them for insight and encouragement.

This team of four has met monthly ever since, sharing their challenges and joys of ministry, introducing one another to new resources, and supporting one another with advice and prayer.  “We wanted to meet together as we sensed our churches were on similar journeys and we wanted to share in mutual learning and encouragement,” Heacock remembered.  “Though each of us are different and have our unique emphasis, we share a common vision for a future church that is about being real with who we are in Jesus Christ before one another.”

Small groups of like-minded pastors is not a new concept in Franconia Conference, Sawatzky observed; support, study, and prayer groups have existed in various forms for years.  What has made this particular group successful has been both a commitment to one another and shared vision for what church could be.  “They have organized their activities around their immediate shared concerns,” Sawatzky said.  “[Then their activities] come out of relationship as these pastors have bonded as friends and in spiritual relationship with one another.”

Their congregations have also benefited from their relationship, both directly and through their growth as leaders, Eglinton-Woods said. “I have greater confidence and ability to lead transformation in our congregation as a result of being with other pastors who are doing the same thing. Continuing to teach, preach, encourage, and lead transformation in the face of comfortable Christianity has a cost but it has become an easier cost to bear [because of] being a part of this group.”

Soon after they formed their Learning Community, the group began working together to provide equipping events for their congregational leadership.  These workshops eventually developed into joint worship services where the congregations met to share stories of transformation, including one in February in which the congregations worshiped, shared testimonies of God’s joy, and prayed for each other.  This mutual prayer has always been a pivotal part of the pastors’ and congregations’ relationship, Heacock pointed out, because it keeps them from experiencing envy or from developing a sense of competition.

After six years, this Learning Community is still an important support for all three pastors—they rarely miss a meeting.  “I look forward to them and receive encouragement, insight, and new life every time,” reflected Eglinton-Woods.

“I am grateful for our learning community,” added Heacock.  “I believe God has brought us together….   Larry, Bruce, and Walter are men that are being transformed by and used by God.  I am honored to walk and learn with them.”

From Lukewarm to Hot Christians, part 1

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Claude Goodby Claude Good, Souderton congregation

The Hidden Agenda Behind the Worm Project

Recently I had a visit from a friend. Our conversation turned to the pain of the world. Much to my surprise he broke out weeping; his weeping was caused by his deep concern for the people still living in the pain of darkness. He asked for a tissue. The next day I found the crunched up tissue and was about to chuck it in the garbage. But I suddenly thought, “I can’t throw this away because it holds tears that I believe are sacred to God.”  So I put it in a special place to remind me of how much God wants us to care for those living in darkness as well as the poor who are hungry and sick.

While living in Mexico, we sometimes took our small children to visit zoos or museums.  There were so many people around us we had to keep alert to see that we stayed together. But little Ceci made it easier. She would anxiously watch to see that none of her siblings got out of our sight; she really wanted us to stay together!

So how does that story relate to the hidden agenda behind the Worm Project?

In the beginning it appeared the Worm Project might never get off the ground. We couldn’t find people interested in distributing the tablets. I was nearly ready to give up. But I had another reason to keep trying. Just like our daughter’s deep concern for her biological family, I really wanted all of us as Mennonites to be together forever just like we want our families to be with us for eternity. All of us are part of a larger family; my prayer is that as many of us as absolutely possible will be together throughout eternity along with all the redeemed ones from every tribe and nation.  And if we are to be together forever, we must know God.

So what could be done that might encourage us lukewarm Christians to be hungry to know God? In Jer.22:10, God told the son of Josiah in strong terms that he was only thinking of himself by building a fancy palace and making people work for nothing. But his father Josiah, God said, had defended the cause of the poor and needy. AND THEN GOD MAKESTHE VERY CRUCIAL STATEMENT, “Is that not what it means to know me?” Caring for the poor is one way to know God.

Many Mennonites are frugal. Combine that with the fact that $100 will treat 7,000 sickly children, ridding them of worms (1.4 cents each tablet)–that is bargain basement prices for those who know how to pinch pennies.  We like to say: “Little is much if God is in it.” And we know God IS in it because he says, “Spend yourself/pour yourself out on behalf of the hungry.”  For those who obey, he promises that we will become like “a well-watered garden…. or a spring that never fails” (Isa.58:10 -12). The Spirit of God tends to build a real compassion within us as we realize how many can be helped with our resources. Lukewarm American Christians need an increased awareness of the pain and darkness in the world. Knowing God intimately is the key to having God’s caring heart within us for those living in that pain and darkness.

Thankfully, God, the “Divine Coordinator,” supernaturally inspired many of our people to respond with love and care for the children with worms. God, the Divine Multiplier, has multiplied our gifts in a marvelous way. Well over 100 million tablets have gone out. He has also brought together a highly motivated Board and a team of Partners who are overseeing the distributions in many countries. The passion of both these groups of red-hot Christians insures that the program will continue.

Preventing Gun Violence

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Gun Violence Pastors BreakfastDrick Boyd, professor at Eastern University, and Fred Kauffman from Mennonite Central Committee (both from West Philadelphia congregation) shared stories of gun violence and redemption and encouraged leaders to engage their congregations around the topic of gun violence and gun control.  There are deeper issues in our culture, Boyd said, and getting rid of guns won’t remove those deeper issues, but “at least we’ll live long enough to address them.”

Kauffman and Boyd are available to come speak at your congregation on the topic of preventing gun violence; they also recommend the book America and Its Guns.

Intercessory Prayer about Gun Violence

Listen to the podcast:

[podcast]http://www.mosaicmennonites.org/media-uploads/mp3/Gun-Violence.mp3[/podcast]

God's Caretakers

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Steve Krissby Steve Kriss, skriss@mosaicmennonites.org

After Hurricane Sandy, I trekked with a Mennonite Disaster Service assessment team out to the peninsula of the Rockaway neighborhoods of New York City. This thin peninsula juts south from Long Island into the Atlantic in the borough of Queens. It’s a beautiful spot for a beach vacation, but a precariously situated stretch of city neighborhoods packed with people.

There are a lot of political issues that I don’t speak to directly. I try to avoid issues with easy-to-figure-out delineations between left and right in the political conversations that boil over into the life of the church. But driving on the thin peninsula with feet of sand blown in from the beach, cars tossed indiscriminately by rising water and trees stripped by wind, I had a distinct moment of realization: “So this is what global climate change looks like.”

I’m ready to believe and name that the relationship between humans and the planet is provoking — or at least providing the perfect storm of situations to cultivate — significant changes that will continue to have serious repercussions for all communities.

As usual in the human community, the most vulnerable are often the people that Jesus suggested we should be the most concerned about — the poor, the elderly, people with disabilities. In Staten Island where the most deaths occurred in the United States from Hurricane Sandy, most who died were from those vulnerable populations.

I do all sorts of things that both contribute to climate change and attempt to take the pressure off. I live in a walkable neighborhood. I recycle religiously and have a garden with my neighbors. I purchase wind-generated energy. But I drive a pick-up truck about 25,000 miles a year, take frequent airplane flights and have innumerable spare laptops and cellphones lying around in the house that will contribute to mounds of toxic electronic waste someday. “Living simply so that others may simply live” is complicated.

As a kid growing up around Johnstown, Pa., I learned rebuilding without rethinking our relationship with the terrain leads to further and repeated destruction.

Our little neighborhood was ripped apart by a tragic flash flood in 1977. It never really recovered. Some houses were never rebuilt. Other reconstructed homes were elevated to avoid first-floor inundations with water if a similar 100-year storm would occur again.

In Johnstown, those storms seem to come every 40 to 50 years. Along the Northeast coast, we’ve had two 100-year storms in the last two years. Journalists and neighbors in the path of the storm’s destruction have remarked that those communities will never be the same after the storm.

Seeing storm-ravaged communities provoked a graphic realization that our actions — our behaviors as humans in an interconnected system — are not divorced from the winds, rain and waves. Instead, we are a part of the creation God has made and called good. God has charged men and women to tend this gift of planetary existence and to live well within it.

Paul writes that all of creation is waiting in anxious expectation for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed. Part of that revealing is reconnecting the human relationship with all of creation, in all of its beauty and raging. It’s connecting our care of the planet with our love of the Creator and our neighbors. Both our action and inaction are intertwined with our relationship to the Divine.

Reflections on building an intercultural relationship

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Urban Promise at Souderton
A team of interns from Urban Promise leads singing at Souderton congregation. Photo by Emily Ralph.

As a church seeking to connect with the mission of God in the world, it has been exciting to connect with the ministry of Urban Promise in Camden, NJ. Initially, several of our college students served as summer interns and Bruce Main and some of their interns came to a worship service on a Sunday morning. But this past year, the Senior High youth group did a week of service in Camden and for many of the youth it was life changing. Relationships were established. They connected with what God was doing in the city and the invitation was given to come to Souderton for an exchange visit. Seeing this come together on January 20th was encouraging and confirmed the truth that mission in the Kingdom of God is more about building relationships than it is about programs.

–Pastor Gerry Clemmer, Souderton congregation

Urban Promise--Carlee Moyer
Carlee Moyer (left), a senior in Souderton congregation’s youth group, participated in a summer school camp. What she saw and experienced led her to consider teaching in the inner city someday.

I didn’t know what to expect walking through the doors into camp that first day—it was a huge eye opener. As Caucasian teens, we went from being the majority back at home in Souderton to being the minority in Camden!  This gave me a sense of how other people view the world; I experienced what it feels like to not fit in. Each morning we had devotions and the main topic that they kept coming back to was about judging other people.  In Camden, I tried to remember that I have no idea what these kids are going through and they know nothing about me either. If you have an open heart to everyone, you will not only see happiness in others, but happiness in yourself also.

Coming back home and starting my junior year in high school, something had changed.  I tried to take a broader look at myself as a person. I have become more aware of how I treat people and think about how God would want me to treat others. Even though the children that were in the camps were young, they still taught me something that will stay with me forever.   Not a day goes by where I don’t think about the people that made a huge impact on my life.

–Jillian Moyer, junior

Urban Promise
An Urban Promise day camp. Photo by Carlee Moyer.

Wow! Where do I even begin to talk about the experience our youth group had at Urban Promise?  One of the things that fascinated me most was Urban Promise’s “street leader” program. This program is for the older children (9th-12th grade) who have gone to the camps before, but are too old to be a “camper”. They help run the camp and facilitate activities. It was great to see how these kids worked their way up through the program and are now given responsibility. As a teacher, I notice that kids rise to higher levels of maturity when they are given a responsibility, especially when that responsibility is to take care of younger children.

I know many of our youth want to go back and visit our friends from Urban Promise and some have showed interest in working there for a summer. What an amazing and life changing experience it was for our entire group!  Urban Promise is truly ushering in God’s Kingdom in a very real way.

–Elyse Hackman, youth leader