Wildwords: Sermons From Wildwood Mennonite Church

We were pleased to have Carol Penner as our guest speaker this Sunday. In her sermon Carol talks about the tension between deliverance and suffering in the life of Christians. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him; does that mean choosing suffering is always the most faithful choice? Yet God also calls us to freedom and deliverance. How do we reconcile these two directions?

This Sunday was our congregation’s opportunity to say “thank you” and “farewell” to Pastor Eileen as she retired after five years as pastor at Wildwood. Join us as we reflect on the presence of Lady Wisdom in Eileen's service and friendship in our congregation.

Things are looking pretty bleak, eh? I mean, we don't know the future, but when it comes to climate change it sure looks like things are going to get a lot worse before they get better... Given the magnitude of challenges facing humanity and the earth, our "Season of Creation" series can bring on feelings of despair and helplessness. What does it mean to trust and to reimagine a different kind of future for ourselves and the planet? We turn to "the Weeping Prophet" for an unexpectedly bright vision of hope.

Not all of our emotions in this Season of Creation are pleasant ones. The climate crisis is a loaded topic that generates strong reactions, including more than a bit of anger on all sides. What do we do with feelings of rage--our own, those from people whose values we share, and those of folks we think of as opponents? Can fury be part of a healthy response to the intensity of the season of creation?

Reflection on our relationships with the natural world and an invitation to deepen our awareness of all that is around us. We have many lessons to learn from plants and animals, perhaps most importantly the lessons of generosity, connection and interdependence. From Amy Peters

What do old mysteries, old stories, David and Goliath, and changing perspectives have to do with our ability to stand firm when the going gets tough? Hopefully something emerges as we study how to battle giants in this weeks sermon from Dwight Eisler.

Jesus’ last prayer for his followers was a prayer for Oneness. What does Oneness mean to you? What does it mean for us as the church of Christ? And why does Oneness with God and with each other - and even those we would rather avoid - even matter?

"Loving Others: Fight" - that's the theme of this fourth service in our Revolutionary Love series. As Mennonites, we feel the tension of that: fighting seems like the opposite of Jesus' way of peace! And yet, in spite of our particular tradition of nonviolence, fighting is a significant part of the Christian story. There is a way of fighting that moves beyond violence to healing, and that begins with attending to the warrior voice inside that calls us back to the fire. Join us to learn more from the Sikh tradition as lived by Valarie Kaur in her book See No Stranger.

What do we treasure so much that we’re willing to go all in on it? Peacebuilding efforts in South Korea are as exciting as fine pearls or buried treasure worth investing in. The vibrant and diverse work for peace in South Korean society, on the Korean peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region that Scott and Cheryl witness is organic and emerging and not always aligned with peacebuilders’ expectations. But could that be okay too? Could it be that the net bringing in all the fish — of all types, shapes and size — is part of the excitement? If we don’t focus on starting with sorting out the fish, can we work together and learn from different peacebuilding streams how to pull both new and old out of the storeroom?

“Love your neighbour as yourself”. Typically, Christians translate this passage as ‘treat others nicely so that they will treat you nicely’. But this passage also implies that we are meant to show ourselves as much love as we show to others. If we do not take care of ourselves, then we will eventually burn out. Therefore, we must show ourselves love and care so that we have the energy needed to show others that same love and care.

The path to Revolutionary Love begins with Wonder. Today, the invitation is to take both the awe and curiosity of wonder and turn those towards others. Jesus asks us to consider "who is my neighbour?" while author Valarie Kaur leans into her Sikh faith tradition and calls us to "see no stranger: for you are a part of me that I do not yet know.” This was an experiential worship service at WMC. You kinda had to be there… but here is a guided meditation piece led by Joe.

Valarie Kaur // “Joy is possible even amid great labors—the labor of dying, the labor of birthing, and the labors between. We cannot force it. But when we create moments to breathe between labor pains, and surrender our senses to the present moment, notice the colors and light and feeling of being alive, here, together, joy comes more easily. In the face of horrors visited upon our world daily, in the struggle to protect our loved ones, choosing to let in joy is a revolutionary act. It gives us energy for the long labor.” 

The Bible is full of wars and enemies, of depictions of God-is-with-us-against-them. But there are plenty of hints of the limits of this perspective, of God showing up surprisingly to offer blessings to those on the other side of the lines we draw. What if our lines are not as clear or as holy as we would like them to be? What if our enemies are as human as we are? And what if God is on the side of justice, healing, compassion and goodness--the flourishing of all creation--even those we see as opponents?

Biblical cultures can seem dry and serious, all of that focus on religion and politics and agriculture… Yet an entire clan of Levites is devoted to creative worship of YHWH, in art and music and dramatic presentations. Celebration and beauty and joy matter and deserve recognition and resources.

God loves sex workers. This shouldn’t be a controversial statement for Christians who believe that God loves everyone. And yet, our attitudes towards and treatment of those who work in the sex trades generally fail to uphold their dignity, autonomy and well-being in the unconditional love of God. Morality matters, for sure--yet whose power and interests are preserved in how our society views and acts towards those who engage in morally complex ways to earn their living? What does justice and compassion mean in the situations where we might disagree with or be offended by or simply not understand the choices of others?

Humans are the main characters of the Bible, obviously. But from the beginning, humanity is placed in context as part of the larger Creation filled with God’s wonder and beauty. "Consider the Ant" the Proverb teaches: wisdom and majesty and mystery are everywhere we care to look. Wherever we find ourselves, God is present amidst even the smallest characters on this planet’s stage. Let’s pay attention!

Strangers make frequent appearances in the Bible. While strangers do invade Israel (i.e. Babylon and Rome) there are times when strangers are blessings on Biblical characters. This sermon strives to emphasize that strangers can be a deep blessing and that God can work through strangers in our lives. All people are welcome to be a part God’s family, so we should spread God’s love to those we encounter in our daily lives. We can make someone’s day if we take the time to thank them for the little things. Zach S

The Bible presents families of many different shapes and sizes: from small mother-and-child units to monogamous couples to large extended families to polygamy and other, uh, creative arrangements. What does this diversity--and its gifts and limitations--say about God and humanity? What, if anything, defines a “biblical” family?

Randy Klassen, Indigenous Neighbours Coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee SK, joined us this week for Part 1 of our four part “Reflection on Reconciliation” series. Note: We had some audio glitches this week. If the sound cuts out stay with us and we will return shortly.

Christ is Risen! Now what does that mean for us, exactly? On Easter, our prayers and songs are jubilant, often rejoicing in Jesus' victory over the grave and celebrating the hope of a future beyond death. Yet we live in the meantime, where life is still filled with plenty of loss and fear and struggle and mortality. Can we hold together the darkness of Good Friday and the light of Easter, trusting that our undoing is also part of the remaking of everything?