Pain as a Doorway
“Pain,” writes David Whyte, “is the doorway to the here and now.”* My doorway coincided with the opening of 2026. I woke up New Year’s Day with a sharp pain running down the top of my left side, neck to wrist. We were with Abbie’s family in Quinter, Kansas and…
Blessing and Being Blessed
One of the things I cherish most about our life together as a congregation is the many ways we honor moments of growth and transition. We give Bibles to second graders; we mark the transitions of those who go through the Transitions and Ritual class; we celebrate commitments of faith…
Beautiful Star
“O beautiful star of Bethlehem, shining afar through shadows dim…” VT 275 A star plays a prominent role in the nativity story, guiding wise ones from the East as they travel to visit the Christ child in Bethlehem. Whatever astronomical sign that may or may not have been, it is…
Training Courage
Yesterday evening 70 of us gathered at the church for the Mennonite Action Training Tour “To Build Our Courage.” Notably, about half of the participants were from beyond the Columbus Mennonite community. We started in the fellowship hall with a soup and bread meal, then moved to the sanctuary. Our…
Spacious Faith, an Advent Invitation
Advent always comes to us as a season of waiting, longing, and preparation. We begin the new year of the Church calendar not on Christmas Day, but in this season of preparation that invites us to make space for God to show up in new ways. This year our worship…