When I reviewed Monsters University two years ago, I implied that Pixar, while always producing entertaining films, was in the middle of a creative rut. Cars 2, Brave, and Monsters University were decent movies, but they lacked the creative ambition, unique storytelling, and authentic emotion that helped to propel Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and Toy Story 3 onto my year-end top movies lists from 2007 to 2010. The movie introduces characters that all kids know but may not have ever really talked or thought about: the emotions inside their heads. Part of the charm of WALL-E and Up was that they […]

PQ  Sirens doesn’t dwell in the sadness, but instead in the empowering nature of relationships and the healing that can come from making music. The Weepies, a duo of Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, recently released Sirens after a very challenging year. Deb and Steve, the parents of three young children, together faced Deb’s diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent months of treatment. Sirens doesn’t dwell in the sadness, but instead in the empowering nature of relationships and the healing that can come from making music. When they cover the Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne tune “Learning to Fly,” there […]

Editor’s Note: Jodi Nisly Hertzler writes occasionally for Another Way and is a college counselor, tutor, and freelance proofreader. Jodi and her husband have three children. Nine o’clock on a summer morning. The task at hand is simple but necessary. We’re out of granola, and that just won’t do. I can still picture the recipe card taped to the inside of Mom’s cabinet; I can still remember standing on a chair in the kitchen, helping to dump and stir. Most of my friends have a granola recipe that they claim is the best. Some of them are quite good, especially my friend Carmen’s, […]

The story of Iowa City pastor Max Villatoro captured hearts inside and outside the Mennonite Church this spring. Many were outraged when “Pastor Max,” as he became known, was picked up outside his home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and later unjustly deported to Honduras, separating him from his four U.S. citizen children. For others, Pastor Max’s case brought tension between the biblical call to welcome the stranger (e.g., Exodus 22:21, Matthew 25:35) and to follow the rule of law (Romans 13). One email I received asked: “Why was Max Villatoro here 20 years, but he still […]

How many shoes do you own? I’ll wager you own a few less shoes than the legendary Imelda Marcos (rumored 3,000 pair in her collection), but more than the impoverished Cinderella. I am certainly no shoe collector; my shoe wardrobe is sparse compared to many women. But I have way more than two pair of shoes. Don, the pastor who married my husband and me over 39 years ago (now pastor emeritus and, yes, he’s getting up there), posed a challenge on Pentecost Sunday in a private conversation during coffee hour. Our current interim pastor (and we’ve only had two […]

I recently had the privilege of attending the first Movies and Meaning Film Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The festival was led by Gareth Higgins and Richard Rohr and featured a variety of profound films and inspiring talks. One of those profound films was a new Jesus film that is scheduled for a limited release in October (it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January). The film’s writer/director, Rodrigo Garcia, joined us for a long Q&A after the screening. Those who know the story of Jesus and are interested in exploring his wilderness encounter with the devil in a […]

Last summer a four-day youth peace camp was held in Saskatoon. Community engagement coordinators, with the help of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan (MCCS) summer staff Charis Miller & Rachel Bueckert set up a four day youth camp August 17-20, 2014. Charis and Rachel wrote the following reflections following the camp. As summer staff, part of our job was planning and implementing a peace camp titled “Raise the Peace” in the Meadowgreen area of Saskatoon.This area is home to many newcomer families from about 20 different nations. The focus of the camp was peacebuilding and restorative justice, with a specific emphasis on using spoken word (expressive […]

Do you believe in praying for good weather? What about for rain? While great weather is nice to have, especially in summer, and I’m grateful when it occurs on opportune days, I’m not sure it is right to pray for good weather. What if my nice sunshiny day for a picnic prevents a farmer from getting the rain he or she needs so desperately for a crop? I’m often aware of how public prayers can affect those around us, particularly if there are persons in the group who are not necessarily Christian. In early May we had a brief getaway […]