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A1*^ LIBRARY W OXHAK(’ Digitized by the Internet Archive 2016 in https://archive.org/details/mennonite200609unse I . Assoc. Mennor.ite L- icai Sem. 3003 Benham Ave. Elkhart, IN 46527 ' www.TheMennonite.org January 10,2006 .mwi.f:rn.a nr, MMA today Coming ofage on a cattle Boat The four-fold formula of ministry Stewardship surprises Elkhart, IN 465^7 GRACE AND TRUTH Get in the car and drive Peoplewh—oseekpeaceinthings,places,peopleand healthbynotgoingtothedoctor.Andwerun activities orinworld-flight,poverty—andhumilia- awayfromtakingresponsibilityforourhealthby tion,whatevertheavenueord—egree lookinvain, listeningonlytowhatwewanttohear.Werunto forthereisnopeacethisway. MeisterEckhart avoidconfrontingourgovernmentwhenittakes anactionweknowisnotwhatJesuswoulddo. crestedahillonHighway401inthedarkand Andwerunfromthepoorinourowncommunities waspresentedwithaviewofthreelanesoftraf- bynotevenadmittingtheyexist.Weareintense IficstretchingasfarasIcouldsee.Thenight runners. seemedtoemphasizetheendlessstringofredtail- AndGodasksusthesamequestionheasked lights,andthecarsaheadwereindistinguishable Elijah,‘Whatareyoudoinghere?”(1Kings19:9). fromeachotheratthisdistance.InthedarkI Afterrunningfor40daysand40nights,Elijahhad couldnotdifferentiatemodelsorbrandsofvehi- tobeexhausted.Helikelydidn’twanttodoany- cles.Theusualrustorrichesevidentinour thingatthatpoint.ButGodbeginshisconversa- choiceoftransportationwasnullifiedinthedark, tionwithElijahbyquizzinghimabouthisactivity. licenseplatestoindicateidentityorhomebase “Whatareyoudoing?”GodhadcaughtElijahin AnneStuckey weredifficulttoread. theactofrunningawayfromwhatGodhadcalled isassociate Itwasn’tthatallthesecarswerestopped.No himtodo.Theprophethadhopedtoendhisdiffi- pastoratZion onewasstuckbecauseofanaccidentorconstruc- cultserviceandjustrestinGod’sbackyard.Elijah Mennonite Churchin tion.Eachlanewasspeedingforward80mph. neededtoadmitthathewasindeedrunningaway Archbold,Ohio. ThiswasnotaleisurelySundayafternoondrive andcouldn’trunfastenoughtoescapeGod. forthesepeople.Thiswasintenseenergygoingin God’squestionalsoaddsadimensionofplace aspecificdirection.Allwereheadingeastwith toElijah’sactionofrunning.Elijahhadstoppedat purpose.Isensedthesepeoplemustberunning. acaveonMountHorebafull250milesfrom At80mph,runningistheappropriateverbtouse. wherehewassupposedtobe.InaskingElijah, Wealllookedthesame,movedthesameandwent “Whatareyoudoinghere?”Godwasinquiring inthesamedirection. whyElijahwasthereatall.Whenwerun,we Butwhatwerethesepeoplerunningtowardor moveawayfromtheplacewearesupposedtobe awayfrom?Andwhywasthereaneedforsuch inlife.Thereforeitisnowonderthatrunningis speed?Waswhatwewererunningtowardmoreor suchexhaustingwork.Wetendtoruntoany- lessimportantthanwhatwewererunningfrom? placewecanhidefromourtroubles.Wepray IthoughtofElijah’srun,escapingthedangerof thatthethornyissuesofourlifewon’tfollowus hisqueen,Jezebel.Itdidn’tmattertohimwhathe there.Elijahranthroughthewildernesstoa wasrunningtoward.Hejustwantedtorunaway. mountaintohide.ButwasthatwhereGodwanted Manypeoplesaytherearedayswhentheyjust himtobe? wanttogetinthecaranddrive.Wewanttogetout Wheredoyoufindyourselfnow?Whatareyou ontheopenroadandforgetaboutwhatweare runningfrom?IwasonHighway401returningto leavingbehind.Wewanttorunawayfromdifficult myextendedfamilyhome.IknewIwasrunning marriagesandchildrenoutofourcontrol.Wetend towardsomethingandrunningawayfromsome- torunawayfromconflict,bothrealizedandpoten- thingaswell.AndI,likeeveryoneelseonthis tial.Werunfromknowingthestateofourbody’s highwayoflife,wasgoing80mph. fill TheMennonite Vol.9,No.1,January10,2006 TmihsesMieonnniosntiotheeilsptrheeaodfefricsiagllopruibflyiGcoadt,iognroofwMeinnfnaointhitaendChbuerccohmUeSAa.geOnutrsof healingandhopeintheworld.TheMennonite{ISSN1522-7766)isnormal- Editor:EverettJ.Thomas Offices: lypublishedonthefirstandthirdTuesdaysofeachmonthbytheboard [email protected] 1700S.MainSt. forTheMennonite,Inc.PeriodicalpostagepaidatScottdale,PA15683- AssociateEditor:GordonHouser Goshen,IN46526-4794 1999.CanadaPostinternationalpublicationsmailsalesagreementno. [email protected] phone:800-790-2498 40033185,GSTno.R122192453.Subscriptionrates:$41.95(U.S.)peryear. ACEiddirvtceourASrltduiaiavbtlsesiircoAnnstrgsiiMisCpsaoittnoniaarnoggdtn@:iesTnr@hNa:TeothMroReeraeMn:benMeKniocrlnnicloiseantrtieeHt.neeoel.romgMriulgtlher ff7Npaa2hexxo2w::nt5M3eo7a1:n46i,-8-n562K3S68St5-3.,6-8-7606P1.046O55-1.0424B8o7x2347 GCSlPihtrocausoanrttuidcmpoahanrrsUddattSoVeeAesrn,roasTvtiahoinenleMacuebennlslens.eoasrnSsicilrotyitephr,teeuoprrrrweeitrssheeeefnentbrootetahnerecdde.osffTfoahirrceiTeahvlfeirpeooMwmsesinttenhixooepnnrNsieteosefws,eMRdIeenncvi.nniostnehidistpeub- Design:DeeBirkey Sendform3579to: TheMennonite Mennonite Coverandpage8photoillustrationsby Website 1700S.MainSt. Church DeeBirkey www.TheMennonite.org Goshen,IN46526 USA 2 TheMennonite January10,2006 ——— — ——— —— CONTENTS 8 Thedelicatedanceofstewardship ReflectingtheFather’sgivingheart RoyE. Bronkema 12 MMAtoday InterimpresidentSteveL.Garbodenoffersupdateson MMA.—JudyMartinGodshalk 14 Comingofageonacattleboat TheMennoniteseagoingcowboys PeggyReiffMiller 19 FirstMWC'mini-assembly'inCalifornia PasadenaissiteofMarch7-16gatheringforMennoniteWorld Conference. FemeBurkhardt 20 Meetingin FranceembracesAfricans Whilecarsburninthestreets,Mennonitesgatherto strengthenpartnerships. LyndaHollinger-Janzen 21 AnabaptistleadersgotoWashington i Councilofmoderatorsandsecretariespreparesforpossible militarydraft. MarathanaProthro 22 Churchhas40daysofcommUNITY Projectsincludefixingcars,landscapingandministryfor i 24 singleparents. MarathanaProthro 23 OneVietnameseleaderstillimprisoned Lastof‘MennoniteSix’couldbereleasedonJan.29. EPARTMENTS 2 Graceandtruth Getinthecaranddrive AnneStuckey 4 Readerssay 6 Newsdigest 18 Leadership Thefour-foldformulaofministry—JamesSchrag Fortherecord 30 Realfamilies What’sinaname? Sara WengerShenk 32 Editorial Stewardshipsurprises EverettJ. Thomas January10,2006 TheMennonite 3 — — — — READERS SAY Thenandnow wasingrownbecauseofrulesofkosherpurity. Thenews,especiallyfromourchurch,hasbeen Oneateonlywiththosewhosharedthesame concernedwiththefourChristianPeacemaker understandingofwhatwaspureinfood,butalso TeamsactivistsinIraqwhoarefacingexecution inkeepingofallthelaw.Jesussays,ineffect,pay thisday,Dec.10,2005.Mythoughtsgobackhun- noattentiontothesekosherrules:“Eatanddrink dredsofyearstotheperiodwhenourforebears whateverissetbeforeyou.” Thispublicationwel- losttheirlivesforwhattheybelieved.Itwascer- Byasinglestroke,Jesusfreedhisfollowersto ceiotmheersayboouurtloetutrercso,n- tainlyatimeofunrestandinjusticebroughtonat beopentoso-calledsinners,justashewaswel- tentoraboutissues leastinpartbypoliticsandthenationalleadersof cominginhisowneatinganddrinking.Somind- fCahcuirncghtUheSAM.ePnlneoansiete thatday.Thosemartyrswereonthecuttingedge blowingwasthisthatthedisciplescouldonly kbpraeireeapfg—yroaoupnrheslo—etrtatenrwsdo oIfratqh—eirwhfiaicthhahansdpourrosm.pWtheadtouisrtbarkaivnegcpolamcreadinesin rteedpotrottbhaecmk,taonhdiJmestuhsatseavyesnhethseadweSmaotnasnfsaulblmfirto-m aboutonesubject faithtodowhattheybelieveneedstobedoneto heavenlikeaflashoflightning. ornilgyh.tWtoeerdietsefrovrethe bring—violenceandinjusticetotheattentionofthe Itisawordourchurchneedstoheedagain lengthandclarity. world requiresourhighestthoughts.Again,itis today,fellowshippingwiththosewhodonotkeep Psuubbljieccatttioonspisacalesloimi- politicsandpoliciesthatfostersituationsthat allthelawaswemayunderstandit,likethe tations.Sendto bringoutthevoicesofpeoplecryinginthewilder- Hyattsville(Md.) MennoniteChurch (“Hyattsville nLiettet.eorrgs@orThmeaMilentnoo- nessforadifferentapproachtosolvingbadsitua- —Churcha‘NonvotingParticipant,’”Nov.15,2005). ReadersSay,The tionsinourworld.Ourcountryandthepoliciesin DonaldR. Steelberg, Wichita,Kan. MMeaninnonSti.t,eG,os1h7e0n0,S.IN placeareapartofthisdeplorablesituation.Our 46526-4794.Please countryisatleastpartlytoblameforthesituation Correctingtherecord ainncdluaddedryeosusr.nWaemweill inIraq.Thissituationthatcallsforbrave,peace- Oneoftheexcitingthingsaboutmissionintoday’s notprintletterssent lovingChristianstobewillingtobemartyrsfor worldistheinterconnectednessamongcongrega- tahnoonuygmhowuselmy,aywith- theirandourfaith.Itisourresponsibilitytothink tions,—conferences,agenciesandevendenomina- holdnames—atour abouttheresultsofwhathasbeendoneandwhat tions alljoiningtogethertodoGod’swork.Un- discretion. Editors ishappening.Ourfaith,thenandnow. Caleb fortunately,duetoanoversight,weomittedoneof Gerber,Dalton, Ohio thoseconnectionsfromtheNov.15,2005,story, “KnownThroughGod.”MarkandMaryHurst Missionalmeals serveasresourcepeopleandpastorsinAustralia WhentheMissionalChurchTeammeetsagain andwiththeAnabaptistAssociationofAustralia (“Leadership,”Nov.15,2005),Ihopethatitwill andNewZealandthroughMennoniteMission taketimetoreflectonLuke10:7.Ithappensthat NetworkandEasternMennoniteMissions. Ryan thiswasperhapsthemostmind-bendingdirection Miller,newsdirector,MennoniteMissionNetwork JesuswouldgivetheSeventy.WhenJesusbegan hisministry,heconfrontedareligiousculturethat Whyisfundamentalismnegative? — Iheardanindividualmakethecomme—nt while IN THIS ISSUE tryingtodecidewhichchurchtovisit inthe processoffindingachurchhome,“Idon’twantto tewardshipSundayforMennoniteChurchUSAwillbe gotothatchurchbecausetheyarefundamental.” SobservedinJanuaryinsteadofMaybeginningthisyear. Iknewthatdenominationwassolidinitsadher- Sowefocusthisissueonstewardshipandlaunchanew encetotheteachingsofChrist.Astruefollowers seriesentitled“HolisticStewardship.”RoyE.Bronkemakicks ofChrist,theyaccepttheScripturesasbeingwrit- offtheseries(page8)andsays,“TheconceptthatGodishard tenbyinspirationfromGod.Theybelieveinthe Juepsufso’rcoounrcceapsthohfasstecwaaprtdusrheidpowuarssomcuiecthy’gsriemaatgeirnaitnisocno.pe....”BOuutr innoetrcroannsciydoefretdhesWoomredfaolfseGoredliagniodnaorrectuhletrperfaocrteic- denomination’sstewardshipagencyrespondstoaquestionit ingheresybutratherabodyofChristtryingto oftenreceives:IsMMAmovingtowardbecomingmoreofa obeyhisWordascloselyastheypossiblycan. businessandawayfromitschurchroots?(page13).“Isee WhyhastheChristianfaithallowedtheterm MMAasachurchorganizationthatusesbusinesstoolsto “fundamentalism”tobehijackedbynon-Christians reachourultimategoalofhelpingthechurch,itsmembersand whoportrayittobeanegativeterm?Whyhavewe institutionsapplyfaithvalueswhenmakingresourcedeci- notmadeitcleartothesecularworldthatwedo sions,”saysinterimpresidentSteveL.Garboden.Thisissue notidentifywithungodlyextremismjustbecause ; a1l,s0o00inMcelnundoensiatceommpeenllwihnogsttroarnyspaobrotuetd“csaettalgeotiongimcpoowvbeoryiss”hed Wwehyarheafvuenwdaemeanltloawleidntohuerwvoiredwso“fetvhaenSgcerliipstmu”reasn?d ! countriesafterWorldWarII(page14). Editor “bornagain”tobecomesomisunderstoodand usedinsuchaderogatoryway? 4 TheMennonite January10,2006