Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
Chibuzo Petty How do you understand the difference between writing and writing as ministry? Nick Patler I am not sure I can explain the difference. For me, particularly as a historian whose interest is largely in African American history, writing is about telling stories, giving voice to persons and narratives […]
Beatitude: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. In my office, I have a framed image of military fighter jets. Overlaid on the image is a quote by Menno Simons that says, “Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the word of God […]
In 1708 the original eight members of what would become the Church of the Brethren started something new as they entered the waters of the Eder River for their baptism. Though it was indeed a new church they began, it was not without historical antecedents. The Church of the Brethren […]
In 2017, I was blessed to be able to travel to Europe for the third time in my life. My first trip was in early 2005, when a companion and I went to visit a relative who was studying at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, and from there spent […]
“Then, Jesus began to speak, and taught them.” Matthew 5:2 As a Mennonite Anabaptist, one thing my tradition has taught me is to look to the Sermon on the Mount to understand Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God. Yes, Jesus teaches about many topics, and in the gospel according […]
This past week, I was party to a conversation with a relative that turned to the Black Lives Matter protests. This relative, an older person, commented, “I don’t understand where all this is coming from.” Brothers and sisters, let me tell you, I was flabbergasted. For so many reasons. Having […]
Having spent years ministering with Quakers and Brethren, it should come as no surprise that I have often referred to myself as a pacifist. There was even a season when I would have preferred the term non-resistor. I used to pride myself on my peace-loving zeal. I ate up respectability […]
The Anabaptist Communicators met October 24-26, 2018 for their annual conference. The conference was held at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Mt. Pleasant, PA. The theme of the conference was Innovation: Past, Present, Future. The conference was open to all members of the Anabaptist Communicators as well as newly associated […]
The following was excerpted from a Ministry Site Study report submitted in spring 2018 at Bethany Theological Seminary Not many people know the inner workings of Brethren Life & Thought or the intentions behind all the work that goes into it. As a recent Bethany student, I wrote a Ministry […]
This week, we take a break from our four-part series, “The Bible As…” by Jon Prater, to welcome back frequent Brethren Life & Thought blog contributor, Jonathan Stauffer. Stauffer writes about his experience attending Brethren Woods Camp and Retreat Center’s recent Simplify Conference. Stauffer accompanied two current Bethany Theological Seminary […]