MWR : Articles : Aug. 6, 2012

Articles : Aug. 6, 2012

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Bible

Three prophets comfort and warn

The Book of Isaiah opens with an indictment against Israel for its lack of faithfulness to the covenant with God (Isaiah 1:2). A particular grievance is the cleavage between religious ritual and the upholding of justice toward the poor and defenseless. If justice is not meted out to the oppressed, then worship celebrations are meaningless; indeed, they are a burden (1:17).

Editorial

Curbing gun violence

Surely the days are evil, as Eph. 5:16 says. Everyone agreed on that, even if they didn’t quote Scripture. A 24-year-old man opened fire in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater on July 20, killing 12 and wounding dozens. People asked: What was the source of this evil? What could be done to stop it? What was the world coming to?
A room divided

My first in-person reporting assignment, two months into this job, will be etched in my mind forever. Although I had attended church gatherings before, I had never experienced such deep tension, such direct honesty, such awkward silence.

Feature

British ministry moves, grows

After 58 years in the capital of the United Kingdom, the London Mennonite Centre is becoming more nimble, changing both its name and location.
Construction projects build kingdom in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — Nearly two dozen adults and youth from Franconia Mennonite Church served here recently as part of an effort to literally build the kingdom of God.
EMU professor works with military, pottery and paint

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Eastern Mennonite University Center for Justice and Peacebuilding research professor Lisa Schirch regularly fields calls from military and diplomatic leaders.

Letters

Applauding ACA

Your editorial, “Health Care and Justice” (July 9), says it well. All the good that the Affordable Care Act does should be applauded by people of Christian faith rather than just the opposite, as many Mennonites are doing. The Religion News Service article by David Gibson, “Health-Care Ruling Galvanizes Religious Opposition,” depicts the stance of way too many Mennonites because they swallow the misinformation — and, in some cases, lies — about the ACA. Two of the biggest are in regard to abortion and raising the deficit. Those proposing to change the health-care law by electing people who advocate the exact opposite of God’s kingdom justice are possibly in danger of bringing on a much more dangerous route. The biblical text is well documented by the words, “God will judge the worth of a nation by how it cares for its poor.”
Teaching on war

Thank you for your editorial, “War Made Easy” (June 25). It was read during our worship service last Sunday. Our theme was focused on a question about what has happened to the broader Mennonite church’s teaching on opposition to war.
Controlling language

Matthew Morin (“Taming the Tongue,” July 23) wants to control dialogue about homosexuality, beginning with commands to “stop using …” This idolatry of language and control is about as un-Anabaptist as I can imagine. When someone lectures about the use of certain phrases, using James 3:8 as their weapon of choice and justice (their version of justice, of course) as a bludgeon, I wonder if they are unable to observe the hypocrisy involved.