WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

Our sermon this Sunday was a video recording of the message given by Mennonite Church Canada executive minister Doug Klassen at the recent MC Sask delegate sessions. Doug joins ancient religious leader Nicodemus in wrestling with how the identity of Jesus changes everything and shares some of his vision for the future of the church.

We come to Easter Sunday expecting a happy ending, as we should, with Jesus having risen from the grave! However, the gospel of Mark leaves readers with an entirely different vibe: overwhelming fear. Why is that? And how is this story of fear still good news?

On Palm Sunday, Christians around the globe sing praises to King Jesus. And yet, when we read the gospels, on Palm Sunday Jesus actually walked away from the crown and all it promised. Why would he do such a thing? And what does it mean for us to follow in the footsteps of a man who would not be king?

God’s light shines everywhere and always. We can embrace it or cover it; we all stray from the path but God is always with us. Let us open our hearts to the light so that God’s love can flow in and through us to all those we encounter. As the light does not begin with us and yet we have a part to play in reflecting and amplifying the light, so too with God’s mercy.

We were pleased to have Jeanette Hanson, Director of International Witness for Mennonite Church Canada with us this Sunday. Jeanette shared stories from the global church to illustrate the message on this fourth Sunday of Lent.

Welcome to the journey of Lent! This season begins with a call to change, to "Repent and Believe the Good News!" But what kind of repentance are we talking about here? And what is the Good News? It's a long walk to understanding, and this is but the next step... come and see!

Following our Sunday Brunch on this last Sunday of the month, Don Epp shared with us from a book of stories about a prairie teacher (his Dad) in Saskatchewan. The stories describe what life was like in the mid '40s for a teacher in a one room school. Listen for Don’s sharing about the book From Between the Tracks by Dick H. Epp.

What's your origin story? Our religious ancestors defined their beginnings through the Creation Story of Genesis 1. "In the beginning, God Created... everything!" What does this familiar story have to say about our place in this wide universe as we begin another journey around the sun?

God chooses to work through ordinary people like Mary, more likely clad in rough brown rather than silken blue. God still works through ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

This third week of Advent finds us looking for hope and joy amidst the unanswered questions of life. Not knowing can feel like darkness, failure, or disorder. And yet, God shows up with freedom, integrity, and good company. Come and see!

This second Sunday of Advent asks the question: "What shall we do while we wait?" While we may sometimes feel discouraged or uncertain about when or how God will act, like those in our scriptures, we are called to live and move in the world as God's people. Where do we begin?

Our Advent theme this season is How Will We Know? This first Sunday of advent we focused on the question How Long Must We Wait? Dr. Seuss and Joe introduced the topic of waiting and then Marg Epp helped us to think about waiting from the perspective of a refugee. Marg shared about the period of waiting that our refugee committee experienced back in 2015-2016 while waiting for Ma They Yare and her family to arrive.

Marg also shared excerpts from a book that she is writing about Ma They Yare’s lived experiences as told by Ma They Yare through a translator. These excerpts are not included in the recordings. We will have to wait until the book is complete to read them.

Most years our Eternity Sunday service focuses on a time of remembering those we love who have died in the past year. We watch a slideshow of pictures, we light candles in their memory, and we have an open mic time for anyone to share about these and other losses as well. Here are the words of this year's ritual, along with a short sermon from Joe on Jesus' holding together the Resurrection and the Life in John 11:25.

We were pleased to have Eileen Klassen Hamm, Executive Director for MCC Saskatchewan and a part of our Wildwood family, as our guest speaker this Peace Sunday. Eileen encouraged us to ponder how interconnected creation is, even in this very first creation story, and then wonder about how we might understand "dominion" as love, love of neighbour/enemy, love of all creation. Eileen shared a passage from Revelation as a vision for us, a vision of wellness and security and interconnectedness. Eileen shared some MCC stories about climate change and responding to climate change and talked about how climate change challenges peaceful relations between peoples.

The great prophet Moses devoted his life to getting his people to the Promised Land--but never made it himself. Our world is full of that kind of tragedy; people searching fruitlessly for meaning, purpose and belonging, even struggling for the basics of survival let alone prosperity. How can we possibly claim there is "enough for all" when so few of us actually receive that which we long for?

We were pleased to have Carol Penner as our guest speaker this Sunday. In her sermon Carol talks about the tension between deliverance and suffering in the life of Christians. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him; does that mean choosing suffering is always the most faithful choice? Yet God also calls us to freedom and deliverance. How do we reconcile these two directions?

This Sunday was our congregation’s opportunity to say “thank you” and “farewell” to Pastor Eileen as she retired after five years as pastor at Wildwood. Join us as we reflect on the presence of Lady Wisdom in Eileen's service and friendship in our congregation.

Things are looking pretty bleak, eh? I mean, we don't know the future, but when it comes to climate change it sure looks like things are going to get a lot worse before they get better... Given the magnitude of challenges facing humanity and the earth, our "Season of Creation" series can bring on feelings of despair and helplessness. What does it mean to trust and to reimagine a different kind of future for ourselves and the planet? We turn to "the Weeping Prophet" for an unexpectedly bright vision of hope.

Not all of our emotions in this Season of Creation are pleasant ones. The climate crisis is a loaded topic that generates strong reactions, including more than a bit of anger on all sides. What do we do with feelings of rage--our own, those from people whose values we share, and those of folks we think of as opponents? Can fury be part of a healthy response to the intensity of the season of creation?

Reflection on our relationships with the natural world and an invitation to deepen our awareness of all that is around us. We have many lessons to learn from plants and animals, perhaps most importantly the lessons of generosity, connection and interdependence.

From Amy Peters

What do old mysteries, old stories, David and Goliath, and changing perspectives have to do with our ability to stand firm when the going gets tough? Hopefully something emerges as we study how to battle giants in this weeks sermon from Dwight Eisler.

Jesus’ last prayer for his followers was a prayer for Oneness. What does Oneness mean to you? What does it mean for us as the church of Christ? And why does Oneness with God and with each other - and even those we would rather avoid - even matter?

"Loving Others: Fight" - that's the theme of this fourth service in our Revolutionary Love series. As Mennonites, we feel the tension of that: fighting seems like the opposite of Jesus' way of peace! And yet, in spite of our particular tradition of nonviolence, fighting is a significant part of the Christian story. There is a way of fighting that moves beyond violence to healing, and that begins with attending to the warrior voice inside that calls us back to the fire. Join us to learn more from the Sikh tradition as lived by Valarie Kaur in her book See No Stranger.

What do we treasure so much that we’re willing to go all in on it? Peacebuilding efforts in South Korea are as exciting as fine pearls or buried treasure worth investing in. The vibrant and diverse work for peace in South Korean society, on the Korean peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region that Scott and Cheryl witness is organic and emerging and not always aligned with peacebuilders’ expectations. But could that be okay too? Could it be that the net bringing in all the fish — of all types, shapes and size — is part of the excitement? If we don’t focus on starting with sorting out the fish, can we work together and learn from different peacebuilding streams how to pull both new and old out of the storeroom?

“Love your neighbour as yourself”. Typically, Christians translate this passage as ‘treat others nicely so that they will treat you nicely’. But this passage also implies that we are meant to show ourselves as much love as we show to others. If we do not take care of ourselves, then we will eventually burn out. Therefore, we must show ourselves love and care so that we have the energy needed to show others that same love and care.

The path to Revolutionary Love begins with Wonder. Today, the invitation is to take both the awe and curiosity of wonder and turn those towards others. Jesus asks us to consider "who is my neighbour?" while author Valarie Kaur leans into her Sikh faith tradition and calls us to "see no stranger: for you are a part of me that I do not yet know.”

This was an experiential worship service at WMC. You kinda had to be there… but here is a guided meditation piece led by Joe.

Valarie Kaur // “Joy is possible even amid great labors—the labor of dying, the labor of birthing, and the labors between. We cannot force it. But when we create moments to breathe between labor pains, and surrender our senses to the present moment, notice the colors and light and feeling of being alive, here, together, joy comes more easily. In the face of horrors visited upon our world daily, in the struggle to protect our loved ones, choosing to let in joy is a revolutionary act. It gives us energy for the long labor.” 

The Bible is full of wars and enemies, of depictions of God-is-with-us-against-them. But there are plenty of hints of the limits of this perspective, of God showing up surprisingly to offer blessings to those on the other side of the lines we draw. What if our lines are not as clear or as holy as we would like them to be? What if our enemies are as human as we are? And what if God is on the side of justice, healing, compassion and goodness--the flourishing of all creation--even those we see as opponents?

Biblical cultures can seem dry and serious, all of that focus on religion and politics and agriculture… Yet an entire clan of Levites is devoted to creative worship of YHWH, in art and music and dramatic presentations. Celebration and beauty and joy matter and deserve recognition and resources.

God loves sex workers. This shouldn’t be a controversial statement for Christians who believe that God loves everyone. And yet, our attitudes towards and treatment of those who work in the sex trades generally fail to uphold their dignity, autonomy and well-being in the unconditional love of God. Morality matters, for sure--yet whose power and interests are preserved in how our society views and acts towards those who engage in morally complex ways to earn their living? What does justice and compassion mean in the situations where we might disagree with or be offended by or simply not understand the choices of others?

Humans are the main characters of the Bible, obviously. But from the beginning, humanity is placed in context as part of the larger Creation filled with God’s wonder and beauty. "Consider the Ant" the Proverb teaches: wisdom and majesty and mystery are everywhere we care to look. Wherever we find ourselves, God is present amidst even the smallest characters on this planet’s stage. Let’s pay attention!

Strangers make frequent appearances in the Bible. While strangers do invade Israel (i.e. Babylon and Rome) there are times when strangers are blessings on Biblical characters. This sermon strives to emphasize that strangers can be a deep blessing and that God can work through strangers in our lives. All people are welcome to be a part God’s family, so we should spread God’s love to those we encounter in our daily lives. We can make someone’s day if we take the time to thank them for the little things.

Zach S

The Bible presents families of many different shapes and sizes: from small mother-and-child units to monogamous couples to large extended families to polygamy and other, uh, creative arrangements. What does this diversity--and its gifts and limitations--say about God and humanity? What, if anything, defines a “biblical” family?

Randy Klassen, Indigenous Neighbours Coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee SK, joined us this week for Part 1 of our four part “Reflection on Reconciliation” series.

Note: We had some audio glitches this week. If the sound cuts out stay with us and we will return shortly.

Christ is Risen! Now what does that mean for us, exactly? On Easter, our prayers and songs are jubilant, often rejoicing in Jesus' victory over the grave and celebrating the hope of a future beyond death. Yet we live in the meantime, where life is still filled with plenty of loss and fear and struggle and mortality. Can we hold together the darkness of Good Friday and the light of Easter, trusting that our undoing is also part of the remaking of everything?

"Called to Life" a '5-Minute Focus' from Eileen Klaassen⁠ Hearing the story of Lazarus’ death might cause us to ask ourselves: How comfortable are we with the season of Lent, with contemplating Jesus’ impending death, or even our own? From what do we need to be unbound and set free? Like the snowman’s days, our days are numbered. Does recognizing this change how we live our lives? Is it possible that the time we have left can become more filled with meaning and purpose?

After all that they've seen of God's faithfulness already, how could they possibly complain about a little thirst? How could they let their worries keep them from resting in God's good hands? Or is the human condition always caught in between fear and trust?This Sunday morning worship service wove together Scripture, music and ritual in a contemplative and imaginative setting. It’s hard to recreate this in an at-home experience, but here’s the audio for you to use in whatever way you wish.

"Is this the darkness of the tomb or the darkness of the womb?" Valarie Kaur asks in the face of global, local and personal uncertainty. This echoes the call of Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3: "if you want to see, you must be reborn, remade from top to bottom." What might that mean for us in our own times of darkness?

What does it mean to love God with our whole selves? What do you need to be fully and utterly you? And what if, as a church, we listened to these needs within us and in our world and organized our worship and other practices accordingly?

Dwight Eisler wraps up our series on Social Justice with a focus on the individual. God sitting with our pain and sitting with each other in our pain.

Do you love mercy? Many of us resonate with the beginning and ending lines of the call of Micah 6:8 "to live justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God." But mercy seems... soft, out of balance, vulnerable. And yet, this is the way of Jesus. Do we dare to follow that vision?

Punishment alone does not often address the root causes of harm or change behaviours. The goal of restoration is not balancing the scale (it was likely never balanced in the first place) or undoing the harm, but of taking responsibility, repairing damaged relationships and honoring the humanity of victims and offenders alike.

We were pleased to have Dave Feick, Executive Director at Micah Mission, share with us this week.

Justice is complicated. Humans have a variety of reactions when things go wrong--some less healthy than others. Revenge offers a shortcut to restoration: balance is achieved by subtraction, taking something away from another to compensate for what has been taken from me. But another way to reclaim balance is addition: acknowledging, feeling and understanding what has been lost and allowing hurt to be transformed into growth. How can we deal with shame, seek/offer support and walk the winding paths towards healing?

Note: We had some audio issues this week. You can find the written version of the sermon on our website: www.wildwoodmennonite.org.

How can something be so ordinary but also so special? The Christmas season is different from the rest of the year... but the same kind of difference as it was last year, and the year before that... Going all the way back to the nativity of Jesus, the story of God-With-Us has always been about ordinary people and ordinary lives being revealed as sacred--the mundane packaging for the very presence of God. Whatever your Christmas is filled with this season, whether ordinary or strange or difficult, may our eyes and hearts be open to see and live the simple and spectacular restoration work of God among us.

Restoration takes vision, planning, creativity, development: the hard work of getting from here to there. You look ahead, you anticipate what’s coming, and you get ready for it. But how do you prepare when you have no idea what’s coming? Brace yourself...and click onward!

Restoration is near! Great! That sounds like just what we need--but what does it even mean?!? The prophet's vision at the start of the book of Isaiah weaves together images of the glory days of the past together with an idealistic imagination of the future. Exciting, inspirational stuff--but then nothing happened. Likewise, we often long for Order or Reorder, but find ourselves caught in Disorder for far longer than we had hoped. This is the stuff of Advent; welcome to the journey.

On Eternity Sunday each year, we pause to reflect on our losses from the past year and from a lifetime of human frailty. "Comfort, comfort my people" is the offering from God through the voice of the prophet Isaiah. What does that comfort look like and how do we receive it? Join us for a view of God in the rocking chair.

"Non-duality is the highest level of consciousness. Divine union, not private perfection, is the goal of all healthy religion" (Richard Rohr et al). Non-duality is a bit of a puzzle for some of us, not exactly words a ton of Mennonites use to describe our spirituality. What do we make of this final tenet in the Alternative Orthodoxy series, and what does it mean to make divine union the goal of our faith?