The Art of Resurrection: From Certainty to Openness
Mark Schloneger
On Friday, Good Friday, many of us gathered in this very space. Together, we said: Look and see the shadow of sin. Look and see the weight of the world. Look and see the suffering of our savior. Look and see the sorrow of Jesus Christ. We sang hymns. We prayed to our forgiving, reconciling, […]
From Scarcity to Abundance
Mark Schloneger
A number of years ago, I attended a church leadership retreat at Camp Amigo in Sturgis, Michigan. On our second day there, we were invited to an extended time of silence. There were different stations set up for us to pray and to reflect, but we were told to use that time as we wished. […]
From Earning to Receiving
Mark Schloneger
Luke, chapter 13, tells the story of when some people came up to Jesus and told him about a group of Galileans who were brutally murdered by Pilate, their blood spread on the offerings that they were bringing to God. Jesus had been teaching about God’s love and forgiveness. He also had been teaching about […]
From Security to Generosity
Mark Schloneger
On Wednesday evening — Ash Wednesday evening, I received a mark of ashes on my forehead in the shape of a cross, just like the one I’m wearing now. As I received it, I was told these words, just these words: “Mark, from dust you’ve come, and to dust you shall return.”
How to Have Enemies
Mark Schloneger
When my sister Tricia was three years old, she got in an argument with Heather, another three-year-old. They were on the stoop outside our front door, and Heather, well, Heather pushed Tricia down. Tricia was shocked that Heather would resort to such brutality, and she immediately got up, came into the house, and told all […]
Here Comes the Queen
Mark Schloneger
What would you do to welcome the queen? What would you buy?
Rooted and Grounded in Christ’s Love
Mark Schloneger
Giant sequoias can grow to over three hundred feet tall, weigh over twelve million pounds, and are known to have lived over three thousand years. In terms of sheer size, there is no other tree that comes close to the giant sequoia, and there are trees standing today that were alive when David became king […]
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 […]
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