An Unbound God
Steph Wieand
When Moses does not return, the people get worried. Here they are in the wilderness and now with no leader. They long for security. They long for a god they can see who will lead them. So they take matters into their own hands, quickly turning from their covenant with the Lord, seemingly forgetting what […]
Encounter
Steph Wieand
Hagar was a woman, a girl really, UNSEEN. The Hebrew in today’s text repeatedly refers to her as a ‘slave girl’, insistent upon our awareness of her lowly status. She is a young person on the margins, a slave, a girl, an Egyptian and therefore an outsider and foreigner. Every year the second week of […]
Courageous Obedience
Steph Wieand
This week I spent my days doing two main things. During the beginning of the week and last week, I have been studying the book of Daniel, which will be part of our focus for our summer series that we are beginning today. And then on Friday and Saturday I was on a retreat with […]
The Practice of Love
Steph Wieand
I’ve had the privilege of being part of a couple of baptism classes here at Berkey. And I have to say- what a privilege. All three of us pastors are so grateful for the time we get to spend with young people exploring their faith and considering baptism. We are grateful for their honesty and […]
Lessons On The Road
Steph Wieand
I’m wondering if any of you have ever seen a group of preschoolers on a field trip, maybe at the zoo or a museum, holding on to one of those ropes that is meant to keep them all together or moving in the same direction? Can you picture it? If I were a preschool teacher, […]
The Risks of Healing
Steph Wieand
Awhile back, we visited my brother and his family at their home near San Francisco. And we decided to tour Alcatraz island, now a national park with many of the prison buildings still intact and open for viewing. Honestly, I wasn’t super pumped about a prison tour, but it included a ferry ride in the […]
Divine Inbreaking
Steph Wieand
Thousands of people killed at the hands of the powerful. Buildings, houses, and towns destroyed Revolts crushed mercilessly Massive displacement Pregnant women with no place to give birth- no room in the hospital, or neighbors homes, or the inn Occupation Poverty Oppression This is a heavy place to begin. And maybe not something we want […]
Communal Formation
Steph Wieand
A modern-day parable about the formation of a community- Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair, by Patricia Polacco… What grabs me most when it comes to formation is this first page. “No one could remember a time when there wasn’t a TV in every home. Nor could they remember when they weren’t […]
Mutual Faithfulness
Steph Wieand
What a joy to engage the book of Ruth together this week. I’m drawn to the fact that it is through mutual relationship that Naomi and Ruth experience redemption in this story. God is less of a notable character here, but God’s presence is felt through other people. So what does that mutual relationship look […]
Inauspicious Openings
Steph Wieand
This summer at Mennonite Convention I went to an excellent workshop by Michelle Hershberger, Bible and Ministry professor at Hesston College. Senper was also at this one with me and I know some of our youth enjoyed her other workshops. Michelle was sharing about Hesston’s work on teaching biblical literacy through focusing on the big […]
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