WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

What does hope look like during our dark times, when personal circumstances or world issues seem so bleak?  The writer of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah, an activist Christian leader and a pastor dealing with a terminal illness suggest some answers.

Martin Luther King Jr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and an Installation Service for our own Eileen Klaassen, all with Mennonite Church Saskatchewan Executive Minister, Ryan Siemens. #ProfilesofHope

Where does Hope come from? In Tabitha's story from Acts 9, the resurrection gets all the attention--but the hope that grew to that point began much earlier with Tabitha's simple acts of service. How do you guarantee that hope is present, even in the toughest struggles? Bring it.

We may have determined at some point in our lives, that to hope is to be sure of disappointment. There are many reasons to feel despair and a sense of hopelessness. So why hope at all? Sometimes it is hard to be hopeful; to live in hope and move forward in hope. So how can the stories of Rebecca and of Corrie ten Boom be stories of hope? And what assurance can they give us?

As we've been searching "Beyond Sunday" for the voice of God this summer, perhaps we've noticed that we're not the only ones out there with ideas about God and spirituality. How do we relate to those other religious and non-religious traditions and expressions, while remaining authentic to our own faith? How do we build relationships with those whose understanding of God is quite different from our own? Complex questions, but it begins with the posture of listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd beyond the walls of our familiar pastures.

“Nothing strips you down to your essential humanity and inherent dependency quite like submitting to the elements, surrendering to the wild. In the wilderness, you find out what you are made of and who your friends are. You are forced to leave behind all non essentials, to quiet yourself and listen.”

Listen to what David shared with us in "Church in the Wilderness." 

We live in a world where personal safety seems threatened. Media seems to threaten our peaceful existence. How is God relevant to that “dis-ease?” How does God show us, teach us, and keep us safe? How will we recognize God when that happens? 

 Are your celebrations, traditions, and significant life transitions as meaningful as you'd like them to be? Some holiday gatherings tend towards the superficial and overly-commercial, and there are many moments (career changes, miscarriages, beginning adolescence or adulthood, divorce, adoption, health scares, and many more) that don't typically have traditions or rituals associated with them. There is great potential in all of these "holy days" to fill our lives with meaning, process our emotions, strengthen connections, and to celebrate our values. And so, as we often have this summer, we ask: how is what we're doing working for us? And how could we do better, particularly by intentionally bringing out the spiritual elements of these moments?

How does your family do faith? Closely held traditions (helpful or otherwise)? Feisty conversations (helpful or otherwise)? Caution and avoidance (helpful or otherwise)? We get it, your family relationships are complicated and far from perfect--ours, too. The goal isn't perfection but connection. What role does spirituality play in deepening those connections and how do we get there from here? Let's talk.

(Also, Joe tries out yet another ritual with stones...)

The Christian tradition has revolved around God as Trinity, but does that name for the Divine have any relevance for us today? It seems archaic, kind of patriarchal, and is it even biblical? Maybe it's a reminder that God holds both unity and diversity within Godself - just like the church community - and that the Divine Mystery can't be reduced to just one name. 

Listen to what our guest, Susanne Guenther Loewen, shared with us in her sermon "Diversity in Unity."