An Iraq Journey: Remembering Rutba, seeing Jesus
by Weldon Nisly
Pastor, Seattle Mennonite Church
Bridgefolk board member
Every day for nearly seven years I have remembered Iraq and envisioned returning to that war-torn occupied land. I have longed to return to Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams and dreamed of going back to Rutba, a desert city in Western Iraq. Rutba holds a special place in my heart. I will always remember Rutba as the place where Iraqi people bandaged our wounds in a time of war. Read more
A prayer for Haiti
by Rose Marie Berger
Most Holy Creator God, Lord of heaven and earth,
we bring before you today your people of Haiti.
It is You who set in motion the stars and seas,
You who raised up the mountains of the Massif de la Hotte
and Pic La Selle. It is You who made her people in your very image:
Their gregarious hearts and generous spirits,
their hunger and thirst for righteousness and liberty. Read more
The Mennonite features personal story of Mennonite-Catholic journey
A recent issue of The Mennonite includes a reflection from a “dyed-in-the-wool Catholic” who “came to feel comfortable and welcomed in a Mennonite community.” The article is linked here.
Mennonite & Catholic theologians featured in Forum on Justice & Forgiveness in Colombia
The South American nation of Colombia continues to attract our attention as the place in Latin America where Mennonites and Catholics are cooperating most regularly in peacemaking projects. An event organized by the Colombian Bible Society recently turned to a Mennonite and a Catholic for two of its three major presentations. A news service associated with the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) reports:
Read more
Bridgefolk’s Gerald Schlabach in Commonweal magazine
Bridgefolk Executive Director Gerald Schlabach has just had an article published in Commonweal magazine, entitled “You Converted to What? One Mennonite’s Journey.” In it he offers nine “non-Roman” reasons why he became Roman Catholic, even while remaining Mennonite in many ways. Commonweal has granted Schlabach permission to post the article on his web site. You will find it at http://personal.stthomas.edu/gwschlabach/rc/.
Here are three excerpts: Read more
Christianity Today cover story on the “New Monasticism” movement
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/009/16.38.html
“Handing Us Back Ourselves:”
On the Rediscovery of Mennonite Spirituality
by Mary Schertz
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
An updated version of this article entitled
“Seeking the Taproot of Anabaptist Spirituality”
is now available at
http://www.cascadiapublishinghouse.com/dsm/autumn04/schema.htm
Have we, as Mennonite people of faith, “lost our spirituality,” or perhaps never claimed a spirituality and, consequently, do we need to look to other traditions, such as Catholic spirituality, in order to recover this vital aspect of religious commitment? These questions emerged recently in the context of the recent consultation on Mennonite-Catholic dialog held at St. John’s Abbey in the rolling hills of Steuben County, Minnesota-Lake Wobegon country. It was a wonderful weekend-replete with Benedictine hospitality, reunion with old friends and the excitement of making new ones, stimulating papers, reciting Psalms with the monks, singing hymns with the Mennonites, good food and great (relatively cool) weather. Read more
Crisis in the Catholic Church versus New Springtime
by Mark and Louise Zwick
Houston Catholic Worker
Never has there been such a growth in the life of the Church as is occurring today throughout the world.
The Church has entered a new era as many groups burst forth like a new spring. There is a virtual explosion of ideas and commitment as Catholics develop and utilize their skills in living out the faith in their daily lives. This development reminds us of initiation of religious communities of the past.
Catholics, especially young Catholics, are revolting against the usual life scenario to which we have been accustomed: Go to the university, buy a house (a nice house with a nice lawn), have babies, make money for their college, make money for retirement, retire, have a painless death and a nice eulogy. If one is lucky there will be some recognition for one’s wealth creation by church or state. Read more
Christ Brought About a New Kind of Victory
by Father Raniero Cantalamessa
Homily for Papal Household
Good Friday 2004
The following is an excerpt from the homily delivered on Good Friday at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion by the Papal Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa. The complete homily is available at http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=52112.
The passion of Christ, described prophetically in the Deutero-Isaiah text [Isaiah 52:13-53:12] and historically in the Gospels in our present liturgy, has a special message for the times in which we are living. The message is: No to violence! Read more
