The Lord in the Dance
Mark Schloneger
…when it comes to dancing as an expression of worship, all the churches of which I’ve been a part, have had trouble embracing it beyond watching a rare liturgical dance performance. And that’s true for a lot of churches, not just Mennonite ones.
Viva la Revolución
Mark Schloneger
Isaiah: I see you. I hear you. I am Isaiah, the prophet, and these are my words: I see a king who will reign in righteousness I see rulers who will rule with justice. Each will be like a shelter from the wind, like a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the […]
Welcome, Child
Mark Schloneger
When a baby is born to Muslim parents, everyone in the birth chamber is asked to be silent. The doctor, the nurses, the aids. Silence. Before any other words are said, the father will take the baby in his arms, and whisper in his right ear the Muslim call to prayer. This is so the […]
Embracing Hope
Mark Schloneger
Early in our marriage, before children, Sarah and I went to see Titanic, a movie that was breaking all kinds of box records and would go on to win all kinds of awards. And before I say more, let me just say this. Titanic was a fine movie. It was worth the price of admission. […]
The Why’s God
Mark Schloneger
You know, before Monday, running had never been an activity that provoked deep emotions in me. Yet, on Monday, running the Boston Marathon, I found myself fighting back tears and failing. It was at mile 17. That was the mile where my family was watching. I stopped to hug them, and I was so happy […]
In the Case of Job
Mark Schloneger
Thank you, your honor. May it please the court, I’ve prepared an opening statement in this civil action brought by Job, resident of 2924 Maple Street, the Land of Uz, zip 56655, against the defendant, God, also known as The LORD, Yahweh, the Most High, the Holy One of Israel, and many other names.
The Long Walk to Irrelevance
Mark Schloneger
In fourth grade, I beat Vance Campbell to win my age group at the Wauseon Parks and Recreation Department’s ping-pong tournament. My age group covered fourth through seventh grade, and Vance was in seventh grade. So . . . yeah. I mean, if you wanted to say David beats Goliath, I wouldn’t object. A few […]
Living Faith
Mark Schloneger
To begin my sermon, I’m going to need four volunteers. Now, I have two requirements for these volunteers: the first is, you need to be able to catch a middle-aged body; specifically, my body; and the second is, you need to be trustworthy. My physical safety depends on you meeting both of these requirements. That’s […]
Wonder Bread
Mark Schloneger
I want you to imagine that all of us who have gathered here this morning represent the entire world’s population. Now, I need fourteen people to stand up. If our attendance today is similar to previous Sundays, the people standing up represent the people who went to bed hungry last night. According to the World […]
God in Space
Mark Schloneger
Last week, Richard spoke powerfully about the need for lament. A lament is a prayer that cries out to God in the midst of pain, grief, any circumstance that seems out of control. Lament is our response when we find ourselves in a space, a place where the right response can only be a desperate […]
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