Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
Preached at Whitestone Community CoB, May 21, 2017 John 15:1-8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more […]
I knew St. Mary’s would be my spiritual home for the academic year from the moment I first visited the parish. Located in Prestbury, a village just outside of Cheltenham, the English town I am spending this year studying abroad in through BCA, St. Mary’s feels the most like home […]
This week, we take a break from our four-part series, “The Bible As…” by Jon Prater, to welcome a new writer to the Brethren Life & Thought Blog as Elizabeth Murray, of Anderson University, shares her insightful Advent reflections. In this Advent season of waiting, I find myself meditating on […]
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 […]
This blog post is part two of a four-part series adapted from transcripts preached during a revival at Forest Chapel Church of the Brethren. The Word of God should not only be approached as rule. No, in fact, one of the most quoted Scriptures in regards to Biblical inspiration states that […]
Working as a program director might be one of the only “office” jobs that connects me to the cyclical design of nature. As we move from season to season, our programming shifts in rhythm with the movement of nature. In the winter, we slow down, observing a slower pace, a […]
We drove on to the church campus which was surrounded by fields and fields of corn. A seemingly strange place for a megachurch. We entered the building, and since we were early, we found our way to the Bookstore/Coffeehouse called Solomon’s Porch. As we waited, we talked about what brought […]
My first trip to the Holy Land was one year and five months ago. It was a trip that absolutely enthralled me. When I returned home, I knew I had to go back. From February through May of this year, I lived with a Palestinian Christian family in Bethlehem. I […]
This blog post is the second in a two-part series. For part one, visit http://www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2017/08/08/wading-in-the-water-pt-i-guest-blogger-sarah-ullom-minnich/. What follows is a continuation of Sarah’s story about her experience studying abroad in Ecuador. My washing complete, I slip back into the welcoming water. I swim out several meters and try to hold my own […]
<Hola amigo, como está el agua?> <Mojado!> The typical response still makes me smile even after five weeks of living in the community of Tzawata. I pick my way down the rocky bank towards the wide Rio Anzu. We’re lucky today, it didn’t rain yesterday, and the river is a […]