This post has taken me a bit longer to figure out. I’ve asked myself over and over again, “Why the heck are some people in church so opposed to this?” Will society break down over the approximately 50 same-sex marriages performed in Manitoba a year? If only 4-5% of the population identifies as LGBTQ, and …
Category Archives: Canoe Conversations
The New Orthodoxy Test – Part Two: It`s All About Equality
Thinking through and writing this post was actually quite easy for me. I asked one of gay friends if we as a church should make some sort of formal statement, and his response was, “Do you have a statement welcoming black people?” I also had a short conversation with someone who said to me, “My …
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The New Orthodoxy Test – Part One: Why???
It’s Pride Week in Manitoba. So let’s talk about sexuality and Christianity. You know, because nobody else is doing that, right? Over the past several years, I’ve noticed something about sexuality and faith that I find interesting. It appears that one’s posture towards sexual minorities has turned into a modern day orthodoxy test in the …
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You’ll never guess what Richard Rohr said about Mennonites!
How’s that for a click bait title? In March, I went to California to spend a few days with Rob Bell and Richard Rohr. Both are gifted authors and communicators, and it was truly a gift to see them riff together for sixteen hours without notes, and not only blow my mind, but blow each …
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Thoughts on “Freedom” in War Rhetoric
Canada is at war. Again. As our leaders discuss why or why not (and where) we should be dropping bombs, I’d like to offer two different definitions of freedom that may help us sort through the rhetoric. Definition #1: Freedom is another word for having the power to kill our enemies. “It’s a form of …
Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent
Yesterday at youth, we celebrated Fat Tuesday by eating a lot of pancakes and bacon. The history behind Fat Tuesday is that it’s the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent), and people used up all their “rich and fatty” ingredients in their house so that they could start fasting for Lent. I sometimes …
The Sky Is Weeping
A windy, cloudy sky dumped rain and snow on us. We were told, “The sky is weeping.” But it wasn’t only the sky. It was also the hearts and souls of thousands of Canadians across the country who had gathered at over 130 vigils across Canada for the annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil for murdered …
On Israel & Gaza (Hamas) & Jesus
I’ve been slow to wade into the conflict between Israel & Gaza (Hamas). Partly because it’s remarkably polarizing, partly because it’s remarkably complex, and partly because much has already been written about it by much more knowledgeable people than me. There’s a lot that we could look at. We could simply focus on the death …
Lord, keep us from speaking of love while hoarding the gifts you have given us. Make us full of discontent as long as there are brothers and sisters living and dying in hunger.
Our church invited people to live off of $5 for food a day. Below are my thoughts, my menu, and whether or not I accomplished what I set out to do. ___________ Monday: 7:15 – I want coffee. 8:15 – I miss coffee. I have a headache. But I found Tylenol with caffeine in it! …
Why I am going to try to spend only $5/day on food next week.
Next week, I’m going to try to live off of $5/ day for food. Why? Well, because a bunch of us from Grace Mennonite Church are, that’s why. Why are a bunch of us from Grace going to spend just $5/day on food? Good question. 1) To raise awareness: $5/day is more than a single …
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