Keeshon Washington tells his story of becoming and growing as a Christian in his teen age years. This was published on the blog in four parts.

Jesus didn’t give room for violent hatred against any ethnicity.  What is the current situation today, and will the Anabaptist community respond with indifference or the Spirit of the Messiah? 

Essay originally published 11/2020. Audio narration just released.

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If we are cultivating and valuing friendship with folks from different cultures and even religions, then our children will view this as normal. In “Teaching Children How to Relate to Children from Other Cultures,” Ryan Grove tells of his children’s experience among people of another culture and religion, sharing the blessings of these interactions as well as encouraging us to cultivate health in our children.

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While it is important to make regular use of a modern English translation of the Bible, it should be noted that not all translations are equal. Marlin Sommers dives into the fascinating differences between newer and older English translations.

Essay originally published 10/2020. Audio narration just released.

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“Grace means unmerited favor and truth means that which is right. The human problem with grace and truth is not that the words remain mysterious, but that humans tend to emphasize one at the expense of the other.” 

Chester Weaver tells of the dangers of choosing either grace or truth at the expense of the other. This can be seen in church history, congregational life, and our own personal lives. 

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It's not our job to create unity! In this essay, Marlin Sommers argues we must understand unity as something God already did. Our job is to walk out that unity by bearing with each other, caring for each other, and bringing our full range of contributions to the spectrum of the church. 

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"As we all know, there are various opinions on how we should relate to the government and the various restrictions that have been put in place. As none of us have any experience with dealing with a pandemic before, we find ourselves in a lot of uncharted territory and with a myriad of thoughts and opinions. 

How do we find our way through these trying times and learn what God wants us to learn? What are the dangers we need to understand and avoid for our spiritual good and survival?"

Essay originally published 02/2021. Audio narration just released.

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“So you’re a Mennonite! Do you have a garden?”......“Why do the women wear bonnets?”......“If I decide to join your church, could I keep drinking beer?”  

Conversations like these resulted from letting those around me see a picture of one particular way that Jesus-centered discipleship can look. Displaying ourselves with all our cultural distinctiveness on the internet is purely optional, however, this is an option that I and the others on the Anabaptist Perspectives’ team have chosen. 

Jaran Miller shares his personal thoughts and experiences from his work on the Anabaptist Perspectives team as he dialogues with people who send messages via email and social media comments.  

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“Several years ago, I hit rock bottom. At least in one area of life, and it happened to be one that affected not just me, but my entire family. This area, quite simply, was how to manage a home. I was pregnant with our 3rd baby, half sick from a toxin exposure, …"  

In "Directing God’s Resources as a Homemaker,” Robin Wolfer urges women to see the management of whatever space God has entrusted to them as a divine trust, and gives encouragement for the difficulties that come with this. 

“Being a steward is very simple, yet it often takes years, if not a life time to perfect. Its principles are simple, yet life offers us many ways to apply them. We are in charge of transferring what God has given us to the people He intends it to benefit.” 

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Forgiving doesn’t mean downplaying wrong. True forgiveness is a powerful response to wrong that calls sin what it is, and often involves confronting the wrongdoer. Forgiveness derives from trust in God’s overwhelming competence and care, but it does not ignore the very real harms and wrongs of sin. Forgiveness differs from forbearance precisely in this respect. Forbearance, or bearing with another person, does not necessarily mean we are claiming they have wronged us; forgiveness does. Both forgiveness and forbearance involve releasing resentment and both flow from the life of Christ. 

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