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Joys and burdens are intertwined
Perspective — Philippines I am from the Philippines, and I am grateful that our IMC family can witness God’s faithfulness among people from many tribes, cultures and nations. I still remember the first time I saw the global church gathered in Germany. I was amazed. For a moment, it felt like I was seeing a glimpse…
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Prayer, preaching and perseverance
Perspective — India “So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.”—Galatians 6:10 As the parable of talents motivates and guides us to use the talents given to us by the Almighty, our Creator, we are warned not to leave our…
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Neighbours extend God’s gracious hands
Perspective — Zimbabwe In the spirit of solidarity in the family of Christ: sharing burdens and sharing hope, I want to share briefly about a burden during my last term as bishop and how God intervened and raised people to share the burden and give hope again. In the month of June 2024, the Brethren in…
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Fulfilling the law of Christ
Perspective — Bolivia In recent years we have been hearing of war and conflicts in many regions; armed conflicts have been escalating, provoking thousands of displacements, millions of poor and a sense of hopelessness and distress. It seems that we are experiencing the kind of signs Jesus described in Matthew 24 as signs of “the end of…
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Investing and exercising
Perspective — Canada Mennonite Church Canada has 205 congregations spread out across the vast land of Canada. Our eastern-most congregation and our western-most congregations are 5 300 kms apart. I first entered pastoral ministry in 1992 as a youth pastor. I loved the youth of my congregation. I loved their energy. I loved how sincerely they practiced their faith.…
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Reaching a hand to the neighbour
Perspective — Switzerland My local church in Switzerland is the fruit of a Mennonite church plant. When cars and tractors were still rare, Mennonites gathered in the rural hills all over the region, in farmhouses and meeting places that offered education, shelter and a simple chapel for communal worship. After some years, these communities stepped down…
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Not a program but a table
The Officers’ Column Solidarity comes from the Latin solidus — whole, firm, united. It is more than sympathy (“I feel sorry for you”) or empathy (“I understand how you feel”). Solidarity says, “I will stand with you.” It is the willingness to bear one another’s burdens. Our church has recently studied the text from Matthew…
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Participating in worship together
Dances at Renewal express culture and unity “Dance uses familiar movements to connect with God, engage community and express thanksgiving while expressing our cultural practices, especially in celebration occasions,” says Marcial Arenos from Binuangan Mennonite Christian Church, North Luzon District, Integrated Mennonite Church in the Philippines. “It’s an embodied expression of worship that involves collective…
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Stories for solidarity
Are we prepared for the true cost of solidarity? We explore this question in the latest issue of Courier. Volume 41.2 has a different shape. Instead of five Perspectives from each region, we bring you extended conversations. Formed by their different experiences and backgrounds, our contributors exchange skills and stories across barriers of difference. After…
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Tenacious solidarity
“I am not a social activist” is the title of a book by Ronald Sider. By making Jesus the centre of our agenda, he demonstrates that issues of wealth, poverty, peace and nonviolence, and social action and politics are as spiritual as evangelism, family and marriage. Quoting Abraham Kuyper, he said that there is not…
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Solidarity: What Will We Build Together?
If we want to be true followers of Christ, we have to follow his prayer that we live in unity, even if it is sometimes difficult and rough. Only then, out of solidarity, we can work for peace.
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Music as a unifying force
Perspectives — India What I have received from participating in the international ensemble I thank God for the gift of music in our life. I see it totally as grace of God that I could be the part of the Mennonite World Conference international ensemble for Assembly 2022 in Indonesia. I had dreamed of that since I attended Assembly in 2003 at Zimbabwe. Taking part in…
