Between Two Trees
Mark Schloneger
When I was very young, my family lived in a tall, yellow house in rural Ohio. It seemed like our backyard was carved out from the acres of fields that my uncle farmed. I remember our backyard as an endless meadow of green grass, where I played baseball, caught butterflies, escaped bees, and chased down […]
Holy Disrupted
Mark Schloneger
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. When the day of Pentecost was approaching, they were all together in one place. Sitting. Waiting. Waiting for something to happen.
Family Ties that Bind
Joanne Gallardo
Over Memorial Day weekend I spent some time with Mennonite friends at a cabin on Lake Michigan. After the full disclosure about the mice problem and apologizing for no WiFi, I was reminded that “we are all family here.” And so the weekend progressed. Our lives were shared, jokes were made, and we participated in […]
New Creation beyond Resistance
Grant Miller
Our scripture today comes near the end of Revelation. A lot has happened so far. Written to seven churches in what is now Turkey, this letter is an apocalyptic vision of great proportions. There are been beasts and armies, horsemen and plagues. And the whole question is who will win this struggle. Will it be […]
Avant-Garde God
Mark Schloneger
In 1850, one of the most controversial art movements began in France. Those artists who identified with this movement called themselves the avant-garde. In French, avant-garde means, “advanced guard,” and it was originally a military term to describe the leading units of an advancing army. These artists saw themselves in exactly that way, but their […]
Enemies, Shepherds, and Divine Promises
Joanne Gallardo
One of the first passages from the Bible that children learn is the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. This Psalm stays with us through adulthood. For many, this is a passage chosen for memorial services. But why this Psalm? What makes it so important to us that we take […]
The Converting Community
Mark Schloneger
Restrictions for the Gorham Subdivision; Goshen, Indiana; Recorded October 24, 1946 at ten o’clock AM. The following restrictions are incorporated into the Plat and are to be recorded as an integral part thereof, and the said plat is subject thereto. All lots in the tracts shall be known and described as residential lots. . . […]
Putting Faith in Doubt
Joanne Gallardo
It is really difficult to give a sermon on belief and unbelief after this week. It’s actually been really difficult to do anything this week. Deb Detweiler was my academic advisor, my professor, my voice teacher, my choir director, and my friend, not to mention a fellow member of my congregation. My life was better […]
Out of the Dust
Mark Schloneger
All this pain, I wonder if I’ll ever find my way, I wonder if life could life could really change, at all. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. That’s what we say at burials, isn’t it? “Seeing that the earthly life of our brother has come to an end, we commit his […]
The March of the Kingdoms
Mark Schloneger
With a high school band or soldiers in basic training, one of the first things taught is how to march. And that’s not an easy task. Learning how to march takes practice, hours and hours of practice. Hours and hours spent paying attention to even the slightest details. The length of the stride. The pace […]
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