Asking For Money

In September a number of Mennonite Church Canada staff climbed onto bicycles and became part of the Ride for Refugee movement. It was a cold September morning, chilling our fingers and giving us plenty of reason to ride hard enough to work up a sweat.

I was thrilled by the initiative. Staff were taking a Saturday and raising money for the work of Mennonite Church Canada. This is no small matter. Many staff already volunteer evenings and weekends in support of their regular ministry work, in their congregations, and for other worthy causes.

When the initiative was first raised there was some hesitation. Some felt uncomfortable asking friends and family for what felt like financial support for their jobs. It is a common dilemma in the work of the church.

For much of the church how we engage our relative wealth is a touchy subject. Many pastors try to get someone else to preach about that topic because of the perceived conflict of interest. For pastors it can feel like they are preaching for their own salary.

Yet asking people to give financially is as critical as asking them to worship or pray. It is an important spiritual discipline, especially in such a market driven world that idolizes individual want and desire. Consumerism is given religious value. It offers fulfillment. The more you purchase, the better you will feel about yourself.

Followers of Jesus Christ are more aware of such incorrect assertions. They know that ultimate fulfillment is discovered when persons leave the entrapment of individualism and align their lives for the glory of God and the blessing of others. That is why generosity is an important spiritual discipline. It holds back the subtle influence of consumerism. It reinforces the intent to remain unattached to the lure of materialism. When followers of Christ give, it is an act of solidarity to the way of Jesus. To extend an invitation to others for such activity is a delight, not something for which to feel embarrassed.

So, it was a delight to be part of the staff group raising money for the work of Mennonite Church Canada. We began to realize that as paid workers of the church, we were not asking money for ourselves. We were asking for financial support for a movement that we love and are working hard to support. A pastor preaching about stewardship is not seeking personal financial gain. Rather it is an invitation to develop patterns and habits that reflect the commitments and yearning of the heart – to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind; and to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is a good thing to support.

So, when you receive an invitation to give, receive it as an invitation to express worship – even if the one extending the invitation is paid by the very work they support.

The Responsibility of Reputation

“What church did you say you belong to?’ The question caught me off guard.

“Mennonite Church Canada,” I responded, and continued to explain that we are a Protestant denomination.

“Oh, I know the Mennonites,” interrupted the US Border Patrol Officer. Then he continued to question me about some of our theological positions. I was a bit alarmed, not anticipating that a theological debate would determine whether I would be allowed to board the plane.

“I am just talking with you,” explained the Border Officer. But he held onto my passport and fixed his gaze on me as well.

“I know the Mennonites,” he continued. He explained how the Mennonites were good people who believed in service and helping others. 

This is not the first time I have experienced such accolades for our perceived peaceful character. But this conversation was different. The Border Officer also proceeded to explain Anabaptist history to me. I was about to give him a passing grade, until he credited Menno Simmons with the selfless act of Dirk Wilms, pulling his pursuer from  the frozen lake. He did seem to know a great deal about us. I almost suggested that maybe he should become a Mennonite as well. But he still had a firm hold of my passport.

The conversation ended and he wished me and my family of faith God’s blessing and wisdom.

Each time such a conversation occurs I am left feeling somewhat overwhelmed. We do have a good reputation. Such a reputation has been formed by generations of faithful living and humble service to God.

To accept the benefit of a reputation is to also accept the accompanying responsibility. It is a responsibility to our past, present and our future. A good reputation bears accountability to our past. The sacrifice and testimony of past generations requires a consistent display in the present if the reputation is to remain intact.

But a good reputation is also accountable to the present. The repute of our current faith movement requires the on-going display of generosity and self-giving service.

This is a not a responsibility unique to us as congregations and individuals in Mennonite Church Canada. It is a common responsibility for all who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. A cynical secular society demands more of faith movements. The integrity of service, generosity and joyful sacrifice is the only platform acceptable for faith claims of redemption, restoration and salvation. No matter what we say, or how we say it – the hearing will only come through the experience of radical, self-giving love. This is how the Word of God came to us.

I often shudder at the responsibility of living up to the expectations modeled by those of my past and present community. To be a church that bears the reflection of Jesus Christ is not an easy endeavour.  Jesus is rarely restrained by rules. He rejects stereotypes and prejudices. He never plays it safe. But a church that resembles him is a church that awakens a divine hunger in all who experience it. The character of our engagement with life today will either solidify or erode a good reputation of the church.

May we continue to be a family of faith that will provide generations of commendations for our children and their children – so that all who speak of us wish to bless the God we serve.

What to do with Success

It is a common sentiment to wish someone a Happy New Year.

Happiness is often measured by the prosperity that comes from success and achievement.  But people in the church who are deemed successful in the eyes of secular society should be warned.  Such success is not always applauded by church communities.

As a teen I was a fan of Amy Grant, a new budding Christian folk singer. I first saw her perform at a Jesus Festival in Pennsylvania. Sitting on a high stool with only her acoustic guitar and soothing voice, I was captivated. Her honesty and simple love for God drew me in.

Her obvious talent soon made her a successful Christian artist. But then something happened. Her success with ever widening audiences opened doors of new opportunity for her and she started recording with a secular label. Her Christian character and message now had the potential of having an even broader impact.

However, many in the church were not impressed. In fact, her success was interpreted as compromise and abandonment of the faith. The church distanced itself from her. It was a difficult period in her career. As a young adult, I was disappointed by the treatment she received, and remained a quiet fan.

Since then I come to realize that Grant’s experience is not unique. It seems that when people in the church become successful they become suspect. Successful business leaders are presumed to be greedy; artists are assumed proud; and politicians understood as dishonest. It isn’t easy to be successful, especially in the context of the church.

Success does bring an additional strain on faithfulness. Fame will bring temptations of pride. Wealth will bring temptations of luxury and greed. Power will bring temptations of disregard.

Because of these elevated temptations, the church is tempted to shun success and shame those who experience success. I don’t think that is an adequate response for the Church.

Rather than discarding success, the church can be helpful in directing success to its intended purpose. From the call of Abram (Gen. 12) to the recognition of Christ (Jn. 12:32), the intended purpose of success and obedient achievement has been for the blessing of others and the worship of God.  For the Church to abandon successful Christians is to abdicate to destructive consequences. It is precisely the church that should help to bridge the gap between power and disregard; wealth and need; fame and the forgotten.  The church needs to continue mentoring those whose success has been crowned by secular society.

The church should always stand in solidarity with the forgotten, the disadvantaged, and the powerless. But it serves neither those in need, nor those in abundance by rejecting the resource of success.

I wish everyone success. For in God’s economy it will be a blessing for others.

A conflicting time of year

November is a conflicted time of year for me. And November 11 – Remembrance Day – sits right there near the middle of the month. It cries out for a response.

Do I wear a red poppy? Or should I wear a white poppy in support of the No More War movement born in the 1920s? Or perhaps I should wear MCC’s “To remember is to work for peace” button.

Should I attend veterans’ memorial services? Or should I participate in a counter-cultural peace expression as some Christians do? I don’t want to dishonour the veterans who say “Lest we forget” and “Never again.” Nor do I, as a Christian believer in non-violent peace building, want to honour war.

The tradition of Remembrance Day has evolved to mean many different things to many different people. That complicates matters. I’m not certain that any symbol I wear can adequately reconcile my conflicted feelings about Nov. 11.

What does seem right to me is to respond to Remembrance Day graciously and without confrontation.

I am reminded of Palmer Becker’s three main points in his booklet What is an Anabaptist Christian:  “Jesus is the centre of our faith. Community is the centre of our lives. Reconciliation is the centre of our work.”

Palmer’s third point is particularly relevant to me. I want my response to say that reconciliation is the centre of my work. But I’m not sure that a symbol – any symbol – can adequately convey that message.

But I can imagine what that message might look like. Not just on Remembrance Day, but throughout the whole year.

It should look like respecting and befriending those who chose to sacrifice their lives in war, even though I may disagree with their choice. It should mean supporting veterans in their efforts to seek healing when they return home – even if I disagree with the reasons for their injuries. It should mean we graciously welcome back to our Mennonite faith communities those of our own who have chosen military service – even though we may not believe that military intervention is a faithful solution. These are all responses offered in the spirit of reconciliation.

Discerning how to respond to Remembrance Day is not an easy task. But neither should it be. To question the reason for which good people have sacrificed their health and lives should never be an easy exercise. Only with humility and respect can helpful dialogue occur.

How will you respond to Remembrance Day?

The Church: Finding a Way to make it Work.

It is quite exciting to see what God is doing. I see the Spirit of God disturbing comfortable assumptions, and stirring fresh passions. It is a beautiful thing to witness. When the soul is confronted with a bold truth, an overpowering love, or a gentle disarming revelation – hearts melt and a new understanding of God unfolds. It is a beautiful thing to watch.

I have also been thrilled to see God bring fresh and new ideas to our leaders. With our increasingly secular society challenging us to think in new ways, hearing of creative approaches is encouraging. But it can also be disconcerting.

Church programs are no longer the centre of shared activity. In fact religious services seem to conflict with other values enshrined by secularity. Family life – although remarkably busy - is given a high value in secular society. It is expected that parents display this value by transporting their children across cities, neighbourhoods, and even regions. From sporting events to extracurricular clubs and interests, family schedules are full and uncompromising.

This has posed a challenge to traditional church programming. Attendance is irregular. Participation is optional. Impact is inconsistent. “When there is a tournament during the weekend, half of my congregation is at the hockey rink on Sunday morning,” lamented a pastor at one of our Area Church Assemblies. What is a church leader to do?

This frantic activity creates a theological discomfort. What can be used to measure commitment when regular attendance is no longer applicable? Accommodating stressed schedules can seem like compromise. Is it possible for the church to encourage a counter cultural approach without appearing to disregard the value of family?

With these thoughts rolling about in my mind, I recently had a surprise lunch with some Mennonite Church Canada pastors. We were describing the changes in culture and the impact this has on ministry. The common experience of scheduling difficulties surfaced.

“All the churches used to share a common midweek evening set aside for church activities. Hockey practices and games always respected this evening. But no longer,” explained the youth pastor, “now every night is busy.”

A fresh approach was needed. Realizing most of the junior youth played on the same team, a new idea emerged. The pastor was having difficulty scheduling a parents meeting to describe upcoming events and initiatives.

“So we all went to the arena to watch the game,” explained the pastor. “During the first intermission when the youth were in the dressing room, I called the parents together in the stands and explained the upcoming events and initiatives.” Then with a smile continued; “When the second period started we cheered the team together.” I started to smile as well. “At the second intermission I stood back up and asked if there were any questions,” the story concluded.

I was intrigued by this unique approach. “What was the reaction of the parents,” I asked?

“They were thrilled that the church was willing to come meet them where they were at,” explained the pastor.

Beer and Hymns

     This summer I had the opportunity to be part of a learning tour to the United Kingdom. Our interest was to see how Anabaptism was engaging the Post-Christendom context of Britain. We were not disappointed. Although a very small presence, Anabaptism has been a key influence in re-engaging a generation of people who have rejected the church.
     Part of our tour included attending the Greenbelt Festival, an annual gathering celebrating spirituality, social justice, arts, and music. According to John Bell, from the Iona Community, this was a gathering of people who were here to “give God one last chance.” Quite a sobering thought. I expected to experience an anti-God sentiment; a gathering of hardened skeptics. However, what I experienced was quite different.
     The 18,000 people who gathered were clearly not a typical church crowd. It was a place where questioning was welcomed, and doubt was honoured. There was no interest in obtaining easy answers or finding consensus. Disagreement was embraced as healthy dialogue and challenging conviction was applauded as serious engagement. I didn’t see people opposing God. I saw people resisting a simplistic interpretation of God.
     This became evident to me at the annual “Beer and Hymns” session on the final day of the festival. Intrigued by the title, I found myself cramming into a huge big top circus tent. Many young adults, some with small children in tow, crowded into the tent with me until we were standing shoulder to shoulder. With sweat beading on our foreheads the piano started and the most rousing hymn sing I have ever encountered erupted. Men and women sang with gusto. And whenever the hymn spoke of the redeeming love of Christ, the crowd lifted their glasses in a worshipful toast to God’s mercy.    
     Unexpectedly I found myself drawn into an emotional worship experience. I saw a young man close his eyes and lift both hands in an expression of deep appreciation. I watched a young woman lift her glass as high as possible; her desire to honour God propelling her up onto the tips of her toes. I found myself scanning the room and remembering so many young adults from my past; those who couldn’t feel embraced in our congregation because of their tough exterior. And I wished that there had been a place for them where faith and transparency could come together. Before I realized it my eyes were filled with tears and my heart bursting with adoration for a God who refuses to cooperate with stereotypes or stay confined within the box of acceptable church worship.
     Our Redeeming God was honoured that afternoon. These were people for whom life did not fit into neat theologies. Easy answers mocked their complex lives. But they were not blaming God. They were worshipping God, beer and all. These were not a people giving God a last chance. These were people who were giving the notion of ‘church’ one last chance. They have not abandoned God. They had abandoned the church.
     This unusual hymn sing has given me a much richer appreciation of God’s Spirit. I am filled with a new hope. We serve a God who is not easily annoyed. An honest search will always find open arms. Who wouldn’t raise a glass to such a passionate God?

Big and little sisters

It was my privilege to attend and address Mennonite Church USA at its convention in Phoenix (July 1 -6). Although the temperatures soared to the mid-40s Celsius, the weather could still not compete with the warm embrace I received from our kind sisters and brothers south of the human-made Canada-US border. Below is my message, on behalf of you, to them. I urge you to invite your friends and family in the USA to attend Mennonite Church Canada’s 2014 Assembly (July 3-6) in Winnipeg. If you prefer, you can watch a more extemporaneous videorecording of this address at the time markers 2:37 – 2:46 

*****

It has been an absolute delight to be with you this week. I have felt welcomed and warmly embraced. (Boy has this been a warm embrace.) We have moved to biennial gatherings so this is the first year that we do not have an Assembly in Canada. We purposefully staggered our Assemblies with you so that we could worship with each other again. Next year we’ll be gathering in Winnipeg July 3-6, 2014 and I eagerly extend you a special welcome. I feel fairly certain I can guarantee that it will not be as warm.

Conventions and Assemblies are important events. When the People of God gather, the earth itself takes notice. Indeed, according to Romans the earth groans in yearning anticipation of the freedom the Church of Jesus Christ represents. Your worship has been heard and felt.

Mennonite Church Canada is your little sister. Not your younger sister because we are the same age as you. We were given birth the same time you were born. But we are your little sister – tens of thousands strong, hundreds of congregations, and worshipping in 17 different languages – but your little sister.

We have never stopped thinking of you or claiming you as our sister. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God, siblings in the family of faith. We will respect human borders but we will not be bound by them.

This is an interesting time to be church in North America. Our Post Christendom context has had a great impact on the church. In Christendom, society gave the church a place of respect, influence and authority. But in the increasingly secular Post Christendom context society has relegated the church to a place of disrespect, disregard, and discount. We have lost our position of power.

But this is not all bad. Post Christendom helps disengage us, and disentangle us from the political systems of this earth. Not to oppose them but so that we can better portray kingdom of God values. Values of radical embrace and love, where the stranger is welcomed, the persecuted are given refuge, the powerless are given voice, and the forgotten are intentionally remembered. When we no longer are trying to defend what we have we are able to re-embrace what we have given up, let go, and forgotten.

Places and positions of power can distort. It can cause us to lose sight of who we are, who we represent, who we worship. Sometimes I wonder if in our places of respect and influence, we have said things that God has not wanted us to say. Sometimes I wonder if we have bound things on earth that God did not want us to bind.

It is an interesting time to be the church in a time of shrinking economies, declining church participation, and the waning influence of our faith. But the Church of Jesus Christ will not die. It does need the position of power. It may look as though it withers. It may appear faltering. It may feel at risk.

But this is the kingdom of God. This is the church of Jesus Christ – where even death is simply the context for resurrection.

Our purpose is not yet completed. There are things I think God still wants us to say. And maybe once we have lost enough power and influence we will be bold enough to say it. Once we have nothing to lose then God has everything to gain. Once we stop defending and protecting God from the impure, God’s redemptive and restoring passion can be released through us.

Sometimes, as your little sister in Canada, we worry about the things we read and hear about south of the border. But then we remember that our big sister is there, and that she is a strong sister – spread across the land in communities throughout the US.

We may not be able to be that prophetic voice to the political system here, but our big sister can. We may not be able to reach out and provide the healing ministry of touch to those treated as lepers, but our big sister can.

Oh yes, our chests swell. Smiles spread across our faces, because we know our big sister is actively bearing witness to the radically redemptive and transforming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s our big sister! You go Girl!

We still have lots of work to do. We may not possess the same position of power but God’s work of redemption and restoration is not yet completed. As long as God remains active we will remain active. This is our calling. This is our honour. This is our fulfillment.

Together with you, across North America we are called to be followers of Jesus Christ. We will function by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the grace of God we will grow as communities of grace, joy and peace. And I tell you, my sister, God’s healing and hope will flow through us to the world.