A little with righteousness...

"Better a little with righteousness 

than much gain with injustice."

Proverbs 16:8

Work for MCC Ontario

Would you like to work for MCC Ontario?

Then consider applying to fill a one year mat leave as Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director.  (Click here for the job description).

If you have any questions, please be in touch with the wonderful Cath Woolner at cathw@mennonitecc.on.ca.

If you would like to apply, please send cover letter and resume to Cath by December 3, 2010. (Start date is February, 2011).

If you want to have a more informal conversation about what it is like working for MCC Ontario (or if you want some dirt on the ED to help you prepare for the interview) feel free to be in touch with me (Allan) at allanrm@mennonitecc.on.ca.

MCC, Advocacy, and Beaver Tails

Want to learn about MCC?  Want to learn more about MCC's work in advocating for changes to our government policy?

Want to skate on the canal in Ottawa and eat beaver tails in minus 20 degree weather with students from across Canada?

Then sign up today for the MCC Ottawa office student seminar "Advocacy and MCC: Loving our neighbour through witness to government."

For more info, visit the Ottawa office website.

I plan to go along.  If you want to carpool from KW or Toronto, please email me after you register.

Enlace Video!

service | learning | fun :: faith | leadership | global awareness

Enlace 2011 applications are now available here!  Tell your friends.

But first, check out this video.

The Enlace program is about providing 16-19 year olds with the opportunity to grow in faith as global Christians by living in community and working alongside Guatemalan partners.

Enlace's Goals

• encourage faith formation
• engage in cross-cultural learning
• foster global awareness and an ethic of service
• develop transformative relationships & leadership skills

http://ontario.mcc.org/enlace

Enlace alumniiiii!   Where you at?  Let us know what you think of the program.  Share some stories and comments for those who are interested in going this coming summer.

Compassion :: This Generation Video

Here is a video of Compassion :: This Generation, a "Meeting MCC" youth event hosted by the Sommerfeld, EMC, and EMMC churches in Aylmer on November 12th.  If you missed this event but want to learn more about MCC and ways to get involved please be in touch.

produced by Simon Martin and Ken Ogasawara 

Great Resource on Creation Care for Young Adults

Green Revolution: Coming Together to Care for Creation, by Ben Lowe. IVP Books, 2009.

Lowe writes from the perspective of a young adult evangelical who was active in Renewal, a grassroots organization of students caring for creation.

He directly and convincingly addresses the common objections evangelicals have for caring for the environment, like whether the earth will be burned up anyway or that we should care about saving humans only and not worry about the rest of creation. Most helpful is Lowe's description of the creation care movement among young people as he describes many projects and initiatives at campuses and churches.

I would highly recommend this book for youth and young adults wanting to be inspired to make a difference in their communities.

Here's a description from the back cover:

"Activist Ben Lowe calls us to come together and care for the earth in a way that previous generations have not. Telling real-life stories from colleges, churches and communities across the nation, Lowe shows that little things make a big difference when we all work together. We now have an opportunity to show the world what it looks like when Christians care for the planet God gave us, so that future generations can live sustainably. This is our moment. This is our issue. Come join the green revolution."

"My Life is my Message"

Camp Micah (http://www.campmicah.ca/), an inter-denominational peace and justice leadership camp run the last week of August for high school students, was a new experience for us.

As Mennonites we kind of thought we had the market cornered on peace and justice work, and it was exciting and refreshing to work alongside Catholics and United Church friends to instill alternative leadership skills in youth with a focus on peace and justice. Camp Micah uses all the normal camp activities (canoeing, low-ropes, games, and campfires) to create awareness about the importance of peace and justice in our everyday lives, and to challenge us to think about how we live our lives and, ultimately, what type of message we share with others by how we live.

My life is my message...  It was a catchy phrase to put on the t-shirts for Camp Micah.

Light a candle...

"Don't curse the darkness,

                                      light a candle”

~Chinese Proverb

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 4 of 4. Conclusion

Some final things to remember

Peace happens in relationship

Jesus, sometimes called Truth said:

Folks are lucky, blessed, fortunate, on the right track

by living out compassion

“dethrone [yourselves] from the centre of our world and put another there”[1]

This is the kindom of God

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 3 of 4. Remembering we live by a different story

We’re not alone, you know

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even beauty queens, with their tiara’s and sparkling dresses wish for …

[sigh] world peace

– someday

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even the Lennon’s who imagine no countries

[sung] and no religions too (Oh, oh – o-o-oh)

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even the folks who earnestly engage in war,

They believe that their show of mighty force will bring conflict to a speedy end:

“We’ll just go in,

strike with precision

and then we’re out.

Balance will be restored.

We’re helping people — oh, and democracy.”

But, as the general said on the radio: conflict is never that predictable

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 2 of 4. Remembering who we are

Sisters, brothers, friends, we’ve called this Peace Sunday

It’s the proverbial string we tie around our finger every year so we won’t forget

On Peace Sunday we remember who we are,

who we propose to be

We are children of God’s Peace

"We who were formerly no people at all, and who knew of no peace, are now called to be...a church...of peace.  True Christians do not know vengeance.  They are the children of peace.  Their hearts overflow with peace.  Their mouths speak peace, and they walk in the way of peace.” (to quote Menno Simons)

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 1 of 4. Remembering the victims of violence

Scripture: Matthew 5, Micah 6: 8

I remember, Je me souviens

I remember,

but mostly I’d rather forget

Mostly

I’d rather sit in my corner and cry, wail, lament

I remember the things we do and don’t do to each other:

war, injustice,

poverty, torture,

broken relationships, bullying, meanness, gossip, betrayal, …

I remember,

but sometimes I’d rather forget

Internship in Ottawa

A month ago I included some info about MCCs advocacy work in a post called Loving our Neighbour through Witness to Government.

Since I know this type of work interests many of you, I wanted to let you know of an opportunity to get involved...(see the info about internship possibilities below, copied from the MCC Ottawa office website)

*****************************

Mennonite Central Committee's Ottawa Office offers three unpaid internship terms each year. The dates for each are flexible and depend on the selected intern’s availability. Both full-time and half-time internships are available.

• Winter/Spring Term (January-April): applications will be reviewed starting November 15
• Summer Term (May-August): applications will be reviewed starting March 1
• Fall Term (September-December): applications will be reviewed starting July 1

The Advocacy Intern is part of a team that provides expertise and assistance for MCC Canada’s advocacy efforts.  For further information and to apply for this position, please contact Marsha Jones with a cover letter and resume.

Compassion :: This Generation

Attention youth and youth leaders...

For those of you in Kitchener-Waterloo...

What are you doing this Thursday?  And the next?  If you have some flexibility with your schedule I would encourage you to read on.  Below are two interesting events that you should to check out:

The first is an invitation from my friend Steve who works with Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support to a Rally for Refugees on Nov. 4th.  The second, an invitation from my colleague Matthew to an Interfaith Peace Vigil on Nov. 11th.

Geez Magazine

An incredibly honest, gritty, no BS approach to our anabaptist pacifist faith.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Of particular note is Amishmash, a blog written by the editor Aiden Enns.

"The Gospel According to Google"

..."That raises the broader question of whether the Internet builds or erodes community. The answer is surely both." 


"We can use the Internet to promote peace and justice, but we might be indirectly putting money into the pockets of some of the worst warmongers in the world when we buy our peace-promoting techno-gadgets. That doesn’t necessarily mean we should make a collective trip to the dump, but it does mean that we need to look at both sides of the tech equation."


See more in this interesting article by Will Braun:  The Gospel According to Google.  I have struggled with how much and when to embrace/reject technology, so I appreciate the questions raised in this article.