Letters to the Editor

Thank you for mailing copies of the Herald to me during this year in Australia. It doesn't matter that they arrive late. I enjoy reading them, and pass them on to someone else at church or in my weekly Bible study group. There are always good articles of interest to someone. I enjoy the little news clips from around the world and the contemporary culture page.

Linda Polsson, (E)
Karratha, W.A. Australia

On Sunday morning, my wife and I observed the number of pastors and deacons in the congregation. My concern was already expressed by the Manitoba MB Conference Ministers and Deacons Committee, of which I was a member: What are we personally or as congregations doing to our pastors? When I see in the Herald the resignations and relocations of many pastors, and so many churches looking for pastors, I ask why. Why are so many who were serving in churches looking for "other" employment when they were called to minister? Are we as a churches expecting something God has not intended us to expect from His shepherds? Our pastors have been called to serve. Are we honouring that call? As churches, we need to do some soul-searching and ask "Lord, speak to me through Your messengers".

Peter Klassen,
Winnipeg, Man.

I appreciated "Sunday Sermons—Feast or Famine?" (May 1) I would like to suggest an additional aspect of the analogy. A healthy diet requires a balance of foods. The same is true of sermons. When I was beginning to lead Bible studies 40-plus years ago, my mentor told me that for every passage I should attempt to answer three questions: What does the passage say? What does it mean? What does it mean to me? It was very sound advice, not just for Bible studies, but also for preaching. J.I. Packer recently suggested three parts for a sermon: What does the passage mean in its original setting? What does it mean today? What response does it demand? Sermons that skip the basic meaning or the background of the text to rush into applications will leave us spiritually malnourished even in the presence of a lot of good food, because the diet is not suitably balanced.

George C. Bush,
Bedford, N.S.

The third letter in the April 3 issue was the most powerful I have ever read in the Herald. There was refreshing courage and brutal honesty in the mental image Elsa Dyck gave us of personally driving the spikes into Jesus' hands, in the process breaking through to the true focal point of Christianity—that even that depth of hate was not too much for God to handle.

I just shook my head in despair at the first letter April 3, feeling truly dismayed that for so many all Christ came to die for was a dress code.

Brian Meller, (E)
Lethbridge, Alta.

I grew up in the Kitchener (Ont.) MB Church and have always been an avid reader of the Herald. Almost a year ago, I moved to Bogota, Colombia, to start a three-year term with the peace and justice ministry of the Mennonite church in Colombia, under the Commission on Overseas Missions, General Conference Mennonite Church. I continue to receive the Herald (although a bit delayed, thanks to the international mail system). I also receive other church magazines; I am always most excited about getting the Herald, and find it the most enriching. Thank you for all the work and the vision you have.

Bonnie Klassen, (E)
Bogota, Colombia

The article about the ministry of horn-blowing (Crosscurrents, May 1) is not funny. Scripture says that the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. The Chinese Communists have embalmed Mao Tsedong, and they're keeping him in Peking incorruptible. How can we keep Ole from going back to China and blowing his horn again?

Shirley T. Rempel

It concerns me deeply that there is a movement to eliminate male pronouns referring to God. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father". If this policy is enacted, that means God is no longer to be called King of Kings, Lord of Lords or Everlasting Father. Our family left the United Church when it started down that road. Do you really want to take the same journey?

You will hear that Scriptures such as Matthew 23:37 ("as a hen gathers her chicks" refer to God's female side. This is a wonderful word picture of God's children being loved and protected. Jesus was not saying He was a hen just as John 21:15 does not refer to a herd of animals.

Sisters, He did not say, "Feed my rams". He said, "Feed my sheep", which very much includes us. God honours us over and over in the Bible. We don't need to change words to feel included.

Leaders, you are judged by a higher standard. James 3:1 says, "Be careful of what you say." I believe this means not only what you speak but also what you condone in silence.

Jackie Sinclair,
North Delta, B.C.

J__ seemed to be the ideal candidate to represent the constituency in Parliament a committed evangelical Christian, distinguished for many achievements. Now, he felt the call to serve God and community by putting himself on the line politically. His objective was to help bring a Christian perspective, to regain Judeo-Christian values in our country. His chief opponent, an apparent secular humanist, was skilled in political expediency and patronage politics. The campaign was intense.

Then came election night climax. Telephone polls had shown that J-- could win if his supporters voted. But many evangelical Christians were hesitant to vote because they had been taught in their churches and church publications that Christians have no mandate to influence society by participating in its systems of government. The Christian candidate lost by a narrow margin. He would have won if all of the eligible Christians had voted. Will these same Christians complain when legislation is passed to facilitate homosexual practices among our youth, to promote abortion on demand, to restrict parental authority in the education of their children?

Bligh Stockwell,
Coquitlam, B.C.

John van Dyck, Jr.
Coquitlam, B.C.

The Herald is probably the best vehicle through which to engage in a dialogue regarding issues around the federated Mennonite college in Winnipeg. Following are some matters that I believe need public debate.

First, is the vision of a federated college an answer to Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17? I get mixed answers to this question. Each member college will supposedly retain the identity of its supporting constituency. At the same time, students will have access to courses offered in any of the three colleges. How does the separation of colleges express unity in the body of Christ? As far as I can tell, the only places where the federation will be of any consequence is in governance and administration.

Second, is the vision for a federated college an expression of trust between the two major sponsoring conferences? I do not think so; the opposite may be true. On the one side, the recent production of "Jesus Christ, Superstar "by Canadian Mennonite Bible College became an opportunity for members of the MB constituency to question whether or not it wanted to be identified with a college that would produce this musical. On the other side, the recent history of Concord College moving from being a national college to an independent college to a provincial college raises questions of loyalty, stability and commitment in the minds of some in the Conference of Mennonites in Canada.

Third, will we be able to sustain a Christian Anabaptist orientation and value system throughout the college when its operation and existence are dependent on public funding? I don't know the answer to this question, but it needs public discussion.

Fourth, what is the rationale behind purchasing the former School for the Deaf when the Conference of Mennonites in Canada has sufficient property to develop a campus on one site? One explanation I heard was that the building has prestige. Anabaptism has emphasized the simple life as one that reflects the nature of Christ. Can we justify spending millions of dollars to purchase and renovate a building for its prestige value?

Fifth, is there a consensus in the two sponsoring Mennonite constituencies that the federated college best represents their vision for post-secondary Christian education? Sometimes I have the impression that it represents the vision of a well-intentioned philanthropist. If this is the case, will the two sponsoring conferences be able to sustain the institution after the philanthropist is off the scene?

And, finally, after both conferences have given approval in principal for this undertaking, would it be advisable for the two major constituencies to meet together in a joint delegate session to approve the vision and mission statement, the governance structure, the core academic program, the appointment of a president and academic dean, and the first year's operating budget? I happen to believe that if such a delegate session could arrive at something close to a consensus on each of these issues, it would be clear that the proposed federated college has strong constituency support.

Isaac Block,
Winnipeg, Man.

If it doesn't matter whether you win or lose (Personal Opinion, May 1), why is there is so much agony over the failure of our hockey teams at Nagano? In pursuit of top spot, professional teams throw millions at an individual who, in a few months, earns what it takes a team of ordinary folk a lifetime to make.

Winning at any cost has become a way of life, perhaps explaining our fascination with losers. The media feed us a steady diet of murder and mayhem, which we watch despite ourselves. Maybe wallowing in others' misfortune helps us feel more like winners, for surely we aren't as bad as they are.

Not too many decades ago, we were winners if we were able to feed, clothe and shelter ourselves. That has all changed, as most of us can take satisfying basic needs for granted. For money, others build our houses, grow our food and care for our children, leaving us free to make more money. But our newfound freedom has left us with less time for the really important things like family and relationships. We retreat behind security systems, bulging bank accounts and busyness. As in the sports world, winning has come to be linked with acquiring wealth, whether it's through the lottery or getting that big promotion.

The real winners are the servants and not the served in our society. They understand that winning lasts only from the final buzzer until you reach the dressing room. Serving others by investing in their lives, whether it's family or strangers, has eternal consequences.

Jim Newton,
New Dundee, Ont.

Frank and Nettie Dyck, Zaporozhye, Ukraine wrote us in May, 1998: "Is there a possibility to ask your Mennonite Heritage Cruise members to bring more material for our church? Two of our ladies have been sewing for many of our people, and the material brought on the cruise last fall is almost all used up. Our sewing project is in need of wool and wool blends for men's slacks and ladies suits; cottons for dresses and bed linens; flannel for diapers and baby things; rayons for dresses and shirts; cotton and polyester blends; lining material; buttons and threads."

If you or your church group would also like to assemble humanitarian aid for the recently revived Mennonite congregation in Zaporozhye, you can do so through the 157 passengers on our September '98 cruise. We will be happy to mail you a list of the passengers nearest to you.

Walter and Marina Unger
Toronto, Ont.
E-mail: walterunger@ica.net

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