Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
My name is Joanna Willoughby and I am a lay-leader at Common Spirit Church of the Brethren in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a microchurch in the Michigan District that started 10 years ago. Together with Roya Stern and Randall Westfall, we make up the leadership team using a Nonsalaried Team Ministry […]
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 A new year seems to be the best time for a person to renew themselves. New means new, or in the case of the new year, renew. […]
What church practice is God leading you to renew and/or revitalize in 2022? The beginning of a new year is a great time to consider how to change, renew or revitalize a ministry practice. First, however, let us admit, there may be some fatigue in this area due to constant […]
Paul’s first encounter with the risen Christ was a unique one and quite frightening. The turnaround of events led Paul to follow Christ and start serving in ministry. You can imagine being struck by lightning, falling to the ground, suddenly hearing a voice from an invisible person, and becoming blind […]
A few weeks ago I listened to the bonus episode of the “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast that featured Joshua Harris. For those who don’t know, Joshua Harris, back in the ’90s was the author of the book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” A few years ago, Harris began […]
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, […]
In late November we marked the life of my Grandpa Shenk. On that Saturday, I, with my cousins and siblings, carried his coffin to the grave on a hill overlooking Lancaster County farmland and not a mile from where he lived much of his 86 years. Since it was late […]
I recently moved from the Washington metropolitan area (aka the DMV) to Polo, a small community in rural northwestern Illinois. I’ve become the pastor of the Polo Church of the Brethren. It’s a big change in a lot of ways, and my wife and I are still making the adjustment. […]
History is an essential aspect of human life. It keeps and sustains facts about a person or an event and seeks to answer the questions of what happened and why it happened, and also tells of the activities of the persons involved in the circumstances. It gives a clear and […]
Once in my youth group in Seattle, we were studying the story of Moses leading the liberated slaves out of Egypt, and Isaac asked, “Why did they have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they could come into the Promised Land?” The best answer I could give […]