Communing with the World

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This coming Sunday we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday with faith communities around the world. This annual event is a chance to practice unity across denominational, political, social, and other boundaries that so often only serve to separate us. While this event focuses on promoting unity within the global Christian community, I think it also pushes us to think about how we create and sustain relationships with those across all kinds of differences. 

And whether through intention or coincidence, this week (and especially this Sunday) has lots of opportunities for doing just that. I wanted to highlight a few:

  • Japanese PAX (Peace Exchange) Presentation: TONIGHT (Wednesday) at 7:30pm in our Fellowship Hall, a delegation of PAX representatives will share their stories of surviving the A-bombing of Hiroshima and describe their current activities for peace and nuclear disarmament. 

  • Interfaith Association of Central Ohio (IACO): This Sunday, members of IACO will be joining us for our worship time and Cookie Sunday fellowship to learn more about the Mennonites. They are also hosting dialogue sessions on Oct 9 & 23 and Nov 6 & 20 from 6pm to 8pm at another church nearby that will include speakers from different faith traditions and will include a light vegetarian potluck dinner. 

  • Comunidad Cristiana Menonita de Paz (CCMP): Our sister congregation in Armenia, Colombia will be joining us via Zoom during Children’s Time this coming Sunday to share about what is going on in their congregation. 

  • HEAL Palestine: This Sunday (Oct. 5) from 1-3pm in our Fellowship Hall, representatives from HEAL will be sharing about their faith, traditions, and culture, and leading a conversation on similarities/differences between Muslim and Mennonite culture. Along with the opportunity to learn more about the ongoing situation in that part of the world, there will be coffee, tea, and snacks as well as options to win a Palestinian gift basket. 

As always, you can learn more details about these and other announcements on CMC’s Announcement Page. 

As we see more and more of our social structures devolving into narratives of fear, separation, and propaganda about eradicating the “enemies within,” we ought to be doing just as much to strengthen narratives of love, community, and the gifts our differences can offer us. However we decide to commune with the world, whether we partake of bread and wine alongside those around the world or listen to the stories of neighbors near and far, may we experience the grace that comes with seeing God in every face we meet.