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Letters to the editor
Mennonite Brethren Herald welcomes your letters on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please keep your letters courteous, brief and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is also subject to space limitations. Because the Letters column is a free forum for discussion, it should be understood that letters represent the position of the letter writer, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren Church. Send letters to:
Letters, MB Herald
3-169 Riverton Ave.
Winnipeg, Man. R2L 2E5
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or by e-mail to mbherald@mbconf.ca. (Please ensure that your postal address is included in your e-mail correspondence.) |
Mediocre Christianity will not cut it
My husband and I pastor a “replant” church in Phoenix, Arizona. The past three-and-a-half years have been a time of great challenge and blessing. The articles in the May 12 issue were all very thought-provoking. God has been at work, and I have had my eyes opened to see some of these things in our own young church as well as churches everywhere. Over the past year, my heart has become grieved particularly over the spiritual apathy and self-centredness I see in believers. Many times it seems that the message we communicate to others is that we have a church/message to protect from pollution rather than a church/message that has the power to save souls from a life of pollution.
One article suggested that a tithe of our personnel and resources be put into outreach. That is a pertinent emphasis. I have challenged people to give a tithe of their time to God (a little over two hours per day). Often we complain if we have to give one to one-and-a-half hours on Sunday for worship, yet we take four to six hours that day to watch television. We call it relaxation but is it not more important to refresh our spirit with seeking and meeting God?
I do not believe there is going to be any place for mediocre Christianity much longer. God is calling for radical commitment. God is calling for “dancing feet” to get out the gospel message not only in villages in Africa but here in Canada as well.
God gave John the writing of Revelation to warn us what happens in the church and what His desire is. Are we ready to be “hot” Christians totally in love with Jesus? I challenge us to rise to the call that we may hear these words at the throne, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
June Friesen,
Phoenix, Ariz.
Articles applicable
The May 26 issue of the Herald had a number of good things, particularly “Three things church buildings can never do.” Our church is involved in a $500,000 building program just now, putting an entire new church on the present one at right angles; and I have heard several times that this project will stimulate growth, bring in new members, increase giving, aid in outreach, etc., all things which the author explodes as not true. If he is right, we may be in trouble.
“God doesn’t want my money”? Hallelujah! But World Vision does, Compassion Canada does, as do Christian Aid, Invitation to Live, Christian Blind Mission, Emmanuel International, Canadian Bible Society, The Home Bible League, MS Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, CNIB, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Handicapped Artists, Wheelchair Athletes, the Shriners, Homes for Homeless Cats and all the rest. I get as many as five a week and keep up with as many as possible, but it makes a tremendous inroad into a sub-poverty-level income. My sister recently got me an unlisted phone number, since she was concerned that I was giving away too much. It has helped.
George C. Whitney,
Orillia, Ont.
Thanks for giving
Re the editorial, “A question to ponder” (May 26): It seems to me that “thank you for giving” is the only way to deal with money issues. The article states they were doing more than expected with less money than expected. It is not the money that gets things done or accomplishes things. Of course it is possible for this blessing (doing more than expected) to continue.
As for me, giving to an MB church would not be a good idea because I would not measure up to expectations. Luke 21:1-4 tells me that if this poor woman gave more than all the others, then more can be done with it too.
Cecile Corbiere,
Kincaid, Sask.
Wonderful convention
I needed to write and make known my experience at the Canadian MB Conference convention in Hepburn, Sask. Being a first-time delegate, I had certain expectations of a convention from the references I had heard other people make to conventions, which weren’t always positive.
I have been a Christian for only two years and have been attending Crossroads MB Church in Winnipeg for only a year. This convention was a gift from God. I came to understand what it meant to belong. I have found belonging in my own church, but there was something very powerful about being at the convention. I finally had a true understanding of how far-reaching God’s mission works are through the Mennonite Brethren Church. I was extremely pleased to see how much the MB community as a whole is dedicated to mission work and evangelism. I know that I have found a place where my need for sharing the gospel with unbelievers is felt just as strongly by the whole community. This is reassuring, and fills my heart with joy.
I also learned about all the different areas of the MB community: Christian education, communications, etc. I came to recognize the people who are on the boards of these different areas. There is so much to learn and there are so many people to know that I think it would take quite a few conventions to just skim the surface. (That’s a hint that I would like to attend the next one!)
I met fantastic people at the convention – the people who billeted me, the people who drove me back and forth to the convention, and the people with whom I rode back to Winnipeg. All these people are like long lost family. We all belong to God’s family and are just now meeting for the first time. The love of our heavenly Father binds us together. The time we spent during the convention in small prayer groups was new and exciting to me. It was an awesome feeling knowing that I was part of all the prayers that our Father was hearing, prayers of people who truly love God and want to follow His will in their lives. When I first heard that we had to break into small prayer groups, I was petrified because I am a relatively new believer and I do not pray in front of people too often, never mind in front of people I do not know. But God is faithful, and He showed me that it was not what I was saying but what I was feeling in my heart. When I put it in God’s hands, He took care of it. I now have a different outlook on prayer, and I was honoured that I was part of it.
The convention itself ran smoothly. Everything was on time. The food was excellent!
The guest speaker, Christian Schwarz, was excellent. He spoke about very important issues in regard to the Great Commission. It’s reassuring to know that the church I belong to is humble enough to realize that there is always room for improvement, that sometimes the old ways are not accomplishing what needs to be accomplished.
The thing that meant the most to me was the praise and worship time. I thought that Crossroads MB Church sounded beautiful when we sing, but at this convention it was most beautiful. The presence of God filled the auditorium and filled my heart with gratitude for the gift of His presence. I kept getting this feeling through the whole convention that He was smiling down on us and was very pleased that we were showing Him our love and adoration. How glorious it was to see all my brothers and sisters singing to the One we love. How holy our Father is! And yet God gave us undeserving humans the gift of our Saviour Jesus Christ. To hear that assembly singing to our Father in reply to this gift was the most awesome experience. I left the convention with a changed heart.
I don’t know what convention other people may have attended, but I hope it was the same one I was at.
Deborah Pelletier,
Winnipeg, Man.
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Previous | Next Last modified September 16, 2000.
© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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