Mennonites and Catholics Gather at Bridgefolk Conference to Discern Spiritual Practices for Violent Times
by Melanie Zuercher
Collegeville, Minn.(BRIDGEFOLK)-History may show that Mennonites and Catholics have had little to say to each other for the past 500 years. But not all members of these two groups see it that way today.
When Mennonites and Catholics sit down together, the Catholics bring a long and rich tradition of liturgy and strong institutions. Mennonites bring a distinctive practice of four-part a capella singing and a historic peace witness.
Bridgefolk, a grassroots group of Catholics and Mennonites, convened July 17-20 at St. John’s Abbey (Benedictine) to examine these and other “Spiritual Practices for Violent Times.” It was the second “Catholic-Mennonite peace dialogue” at St. John’s in two years, and the group expects to meet there annually through at least 2006. Read more
Anabaptist Martyrs Studied at Joint Mennonite-Catholic Conference
by Marilyn Stahl
Collegeville, Minn.- Mennonite and Catholic scholars gathered to begin a joint historical study of the sixteenth-century Anabaptist martyrs in mid-July at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn. Many of the martyrs were condemned to death by Catholic civil and church authorities.
Abbot John Klassen of St. John’s began his welcoming remarks by citing the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in describing the work of South Africa’s Commission for Truth and Reconciliation: “For forgiveness to occur, the past must be reconstructed and acknowledged.” To achieve a real accommodation between Mennonites and Catholics, said the Abbott, “an analogous process is utterly essential.”
The conference was the first time that Catholics have publicly confronted these historical incidents, and the first time that Mennonites have reexamined this aspect of their foundational history in an ecumenical setting. Read more
Speakers urge creative use of arts in worship
by Ann Graham Price
STURGIS, Mich. (MC USA) –
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
in the beauty of holiness, in the beauty of holiness.
Oh, glory hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O come before his presence and glorify his name.
(No. 124, Hymnal: A Worship Book)
Art is so beautifully open that worshipers can put themselves into an artistic work — a dance, poem or drama, for example — and the Holy Spirit can honor each individual response to it, Sally Morgenthaler told her audience the weekend of April 25 for the annual “Art of Worship” program at Amigo Centre.
Yet a long-standing suspicion of incorporating the creative arts in worship is deeply rooted in some aspects of Anabaptist traditions, said Marlene Kropf, director of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board Office of Congregational Life. She is also associate professor of spiritual development and worship at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart. Read more
Speakers urge creative use of arts in worship (sidebars)
Sidebar: Getting started
For congregations hoping to incorporate more of the arts in worship, keynote speaker Sally Morgenthaler offered these tips: Read more
Abbot John Klassen on Prairie Home Companion
Abbot John Klassen, in a fit of Minnesota humor, takes a stand against xenophobia:
Click here. (Requires free RealAudio player.)
Catholic and Mennonite scholars announce joint project to study Anabaptist martyrs, 2003
A group of prominent Mennonite and Catholic scholars will gather this summer at St. Johns Abbey to begin a joint historical study of the sixteenth-century Anabaptist martyrs, many of them condemned to death by the Inquisition.
It will be the first time Catholics have publicly confronted these incidents, and the first time that Mennonites have engaged in historical study of the martyrs in an ecumenical setting.
Entitled “The Anabaptist Martyr in an Ecumenical Context” the conference is an outgrowth of the international Mennonite Catholic dialogue that has been taking place for the past five years under the auspices of the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Read more
Meeting with Sant’Egidio community, pope urges proclamation of the gospel of peace
To a World Marked by Tensions, Proclaim the Gospel of Peace
VATICAN CITY, FEB 8, 2003 (VIS) – This morning in the Clementine Hall, the Holy Father received 300 bishops, priests and friends of the Community of Sant’Egidio who are holding a meeting on the theme “The Gospel of Peace” to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of the community by Prof. Andrea Riccardi. Read more
Mennonite-Catholic collaboration, dialogue surveyed in America magazine
Drew Christiansen S.J. surveys Mennonite-Catholic collaboration and dialogue in America magazine:
http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2826
We Pledge Allegiance…
by Gerald Schlabach
In a time of crisis, uncertainty, and policy debate, one would think that Christians in the United States would agree: When in doubt, we should support our leader and remain loyal to our nation.
Our leader, of course, is Jesus Christ. Our nation, of course, is the people called church, spread around the globe. Our pledge of allegiance, of course, is one that can be sung from within “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelations 5:9). Of course? Read more
