Family Likeness
Richard A. Kauffman
When my oldest granddaughter was four-years-old, she made a bold pronouncement: “I’m a strong, independent woman.” That drew some chuckles, recognizing where that came from: she picked it up from her feminist mother. Often, in observing the conduct of children, we’re inclined to say: Doesn’t she just remind you of her mother/father. Or, You can […]
Gospel of Peace
Richard A. Kauffman
We are willful human beings. Our wills bump up against each other. This can lead to conflict, alienation, enmity. Sometimes our offences against each other are small and we can just move on. Other times they are large and need to be attended to. Otherwise, relationships can break down—there is no longer a sense of […]
Cross Purposes
Richard A. Kauffman
Where were you on the morning of 9/11—that is, if you were born and are old enough to remember? I was pastoring the Toledo Mennonite Church at the time. That morning I was in a pastors’ meeting at a restaurant on the edge of Pettisville, OH. One of the owners interrupted our meeting to tell […]
Best Practices
Richard A. Kauffman
Why do we go to church? Why did you come here this morning? You could have stayed at home to read a Sunday paper and have an extra cup of coffee, or ride bike on the Pumpkinvine. Instead, you came here. Why? I recently met with an old friend. Since we hadn’t been together in […]
From Exceptionalism to Inclusion or Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?
Richard A. Kauffman
When I was 15 I started to rebel against my parents. I thought they were too strict, so I pushed against their boundaries. One hot, July night I went out with some friends. They didn’t want me to go, but I did anyway. We didn’t do anything really bad. We were just boys being boys, […]
From Privilege to Cruciformity
Richard A. Kauffman
Many of you here know of Michael “MJ” Sharp, I assume. He spent part of his growing up years in Goshen and went to Bethany Christian High School, where he had a bit of a reputation as a trouble-maker. But he was very smart and had an expansive vision of what he wanted to do […]
The Greatness of God
Richard A. Kauffman
Soon after I began my ministry years ago, I participated in a retreat at Spruce Lake Camp in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania. The retreat was for both adult and youth leaders of youth groups. It was such a spiritually stimulating event that one high school youth went to the retreat leaders to tell […]
Time for Celebration
Richard A. Kauffman
Here’s a question for you to ponder: did God command Sabbath-keeping because the Sabbath is good? Or is it good because God commanded it? Think on that! Some years ago I had a one-semester sabbatical. We were originally going to Oxford, England, but at the last minute our housing fell through. So we had to […]
Sabbath Ceasing
Richard A. Kauffman
Did God command Sabbath keeping because it’s good? Or is it good because God commanded it? That’s an age-old issue that can be asked of any divine command.
Show and Tell
Richard A. Kauffman
Until about the age of six, my family went to the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in the city of Lancaster, PA. We children were all given a penny bank that was modeled after the church building as it looked in the 1950s. It was made by one of the pastors who was a pattern […]
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