MWR : Articles : Feb. 13, 2012

Articles : Feb. 13, 2012

A different story for the real world

Imagine an icy world where a peaceful monk roams, soothing angry wolves with magic. The half man, half cat refuses to kill or even hurt other creatures. Instead of burning people alive, he runs around casting calm spells.

Respect for Amish

I applaud Donald Kraybill’s insistence on respect for Amish culture in the making of the PBS documentary on Amish life (“Film on Amish Made with Respect,” Feb. 6). Mennonites too often exhibit a passive attitude toward negative treatment of the Amish.
Biblical history

It was refreshing to read that Eric W. Siebert has written a book that clarifies the nature of the biblical writings as very human documents that reflect the historical background of their time (editorial, “Biblical Violence: God’s or Ungodly?,” Feb. 6). It is troubling that there are still other Mennonite teachers of the Bible, such as Ken Esau, who continue to be locked into some form of the old “verbal inspiration” doctrine.

Crash claims lives of Iowa pastor, wife

Mick Murray, co-pastor of Kalona (Iowa) Mennonite Church, and his wife, Julie, were fatally injured in a car accident Feb. 4.
MC USA opens new office in Indiana

ELKHART, Ind. — Mennonite Church USA’s new office building is open for business. The week before Christmas, employees began moving into the building, adjacent to the campus of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
CMU board selects president

WINNIPEG, Man. — Cheryl Pauls has been appointed Canadian Mennonite University’s second president by the university’s board of governors.
Iowa Supreme Court sides with Mennonites in steel wheels case

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of a group of Old Order Mennonites on Feb. 3 in a case involving their use of steel wheels on tractors.
Women’s advocacy era ends

AKRON, Pa. — In 1971 the Mennonite Central Committee Peace Section took a bold action: It invited constituent women’s organizations to send representatives to its meetings at a time when few women served on decision-making boards within Mennonite circles.
Kenyans write book on their history

NAIROBI, Kenya — Nine Kenyan delegates and three editors gathered at the Mennonite Guest House the last week in January to proof the manuscript of a history of the Kenya Mennonite Church.

Works of the law?

Paul closes his letter to the Galatians as he does every letter —with ethics. After presenting so many reasons why law-observance is not necessary, would you have expected this? How do we reconcile a triumphant “for freedom Christ has set us free … do not submit again to a yoke of slavery!” (5:1) with “do not use freedom for self-indulgence but through love become slaves to one another” (5:13)?

‘Forks’ cuts to the quick

With the Academy Award season upon us, several excellent films are in theaters right now. I want to tell you about a much less well-known film I think is worthy of your time. It is Forks Over Knives, a 2011 documentary that explores how our eating habits have caused a health crisis.

One-percenter and Lazarus

Long before Occupy was talking about the 99 percent, Jesus told a story of a rich one-percenter.

War is not the whole story

Growing up in Canada’s Niagara region, I heard a lot about Isaac Brock, the British general who was killed repelling American invaders at the battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812.