By Matt Hershey On June 18 Pope Francis issued an important document on the church’s call to care for creation. The 184-page encyclical was titled, Laudato si’, which means “Praise be to you.” The phrase originates from a poem and prayer by Saint Francis of Assisi that praises God for the creation of the different creatures and aspects of the Earth. The subtitle of the encyclical, On Care for Our Common Home, stretches beyond Catholicism – it is a message to us all. It is a critique of consumerism, irresponsible development, environmental degradation and climate change. Pope Francis calls for […]

Editor’s Note: Nancy Ketcham is a sister to columnist Melodie Davis, and a semiretired registered nurse. First in a two-part series on single parenting. You asked me if I would consider doing a guest column about raising kids without a partner. “Whoooaa!” I said to myself at first, “no way.” But as I thought more about it, I began to jot down a few tips I could share. Then I could enjoy facing parenthood and tune in to what each of the four kids was needing to tell me. Number 1: It is not easy. Number 2: I didn’t do it […]

With so many people wasting their time (sorry, just my opinion) on flimsy entertainment like Jurassic World, let me point you to a recent film of substance called Love & Mercy (hard to find fault with a title like that). I was never a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but I enjoyed many of their songs and owned three or four of their albums back in the day (in the ’70s; the ’60s were before my time, which is partly why I wasn’t a huge fan). While I had heard vague rumors over the years about Brian Wilson, the […]

Story as retold by Calvin Redekop This is a true story about a 19th century Amish-Mennonite farmer living with his family in Western Maryland. Benedict Miller had the reputation of a peacemaker. Some of his methods were both ingenious and humorous. The story of Benedict and a corn thief has been handed down seven generations in the Miller family. Benedict had a corn crib in his spring house loft with a ladder-stairway leading to it. One day he began to notice that corn was missing in his corn crib. Day after day, things grew worse, and finally Benedict decided to set […]

If I had lived during the first century after the death of Christ when the early church was forming, would I have thought those Christians were just a little too far out on a limb—willing to die for their beliefs? The statements of forgiveness expressed so early by the families of the victims of that shooting were nothing less than breathtaking. These thoughts stirred in me as I read a Rejoice! devotional by Katerina Friesen: How might the words and lives of prophets Amos and Martin Luther King Jr. help us remember our own baptisms? Hans Hut and early other […]

Book review By Michelle Sinclair There are many reasons to embrace the book I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. The immensely readable narrative flows like the story a friend might share while you sit on the couch, eating popcorn together—and yet the subject matter itself is haunting, even perspective-altering. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has become world famous, but as she frequently reminds readers in word and deed, she is still a normal girl. Her endearing, enduring voice shines through many passages in her memoir (which was cowritten with […]

By M. Mumpande, T. Ngoma, and F. Ncube  They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:3b-4) As in many vulnerable communities worldwide, farmers nervously await the rainy season each year in Binga District in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe. When rains are sparse farmers are forced to plant several times. Normally, the rainy season starts in November. But in recent years, the heavy rain has not come […]

I have worked in the same building for 40 years. To some, that sounds like a jail sentence. Boring. To others, that might sound like glorious security and stability. I’ve entered the same doors and gone up the same steps for 40 years. That’s as long as Moses and the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness! I used to ponder how they could have tolerated that, but now I know just how long that is! In some ways it feels like no time at all. I’ve entered the same doors and went up the same steps for 40 years. That’s […]