We Rise
Two and a half weeks ago, Central District Conference (CDC) leaders held our annual visioning retreat in our church building. As part of the opening meditation, Conference Minister Doug Luginbill played the song “We Rise” by Batya Levine. The soulful lyrics wove their way into our process of creating the…
500 and Counting
Mennonites are part of a movement known as Anabaptism that erupted in central Europe 500 years ago. “Anabaptist” (meaning Re-Baptizer) was not a chosen name. Critics created it to highlight the key act that set these folks apart. At a time when the universal baptism of infants issued one not…
An Invitation for Drawing Near
On September 7, we will be starting a worship series centered on “Anabaptism at 500,” marking that anniversary by exploring stories of those within the Anabaptist streams both historical and modern. You will hear more about that series and what all to expect from it soon. But for now I…
Sabbatical Observations
Hello again, Yesterday was my first day back with the church after a restorative Sabbatical. Here are some non-comprehensive observations from these three months: Time goes slower out of routine. Not sure on the physics, but my brain says it’s true. After a week of touring Rome, Anabaptist beginnings in…
Preparing for Peace
A few weeks ago a number of us gathered at the church on a Saturday to participate in an Active Bystander Intervention and De-Escalation training. The Leadership Team at CMC had coordinated this training through the organization DC Peace Team in response to questions about how we as a congregation…