DearMBchurch.ca:
Over my career as a pastor, I have always loved going to national church gatherings, and that is where I am right now. One of the things I enjoy about national events is seeing a lot of old friends and catching up with them. But since I only joined the MB church two years ago, the circles here are new to me. Today I saw the occasional new friend who I’ve gotten to know, but the large majority of the people are still strangers to me. I can tell a lot of them are enjoying seeing old friends and catching up with them.
But I still love going to the Gathering, as the national Mennonite Brethren conference is called. What happened tonight is why. Tonight we had a worship service. Worship at national gatherings is always incredibly meaningful.
The theme of the conference is I Corinthians 9:16: "Yet preaching the Good New is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!"
Willie Reimer set the tone of gratefulness and gratitude to God, who does miraculous things in our world, even in spite of the fact that the church is not perfect. God is transforming our lives and churches, and we are here to talk about that mission. Whether we are worshipping, or discussing budgets, it is all of a piece, all mission work.
Tonight was all about the good news that Jesus brings into our lives. The worship leaders and speakers talked about how their lives have been transformed by Jesus. Adam Greeley from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia talked about trying to plant a church that makes a difference in the community, a church that works for the peace and prosperity of the people who live there. “If your church closed, would your community even notice?” he asked. Being involved in the neighbourhood means that you can network with other organizations, and share how Jesus makes a difference.
Judy Harms-Wiebe from Burnaby, British Columbia talked about how God equips us with what we need. She shared several situations where she did not have the resources personally to deal with hard situations. But setting her face towards Jesus, she was able to trust, and receive the help she needed.
Vic Neufeld from Winnipeg, MB explored what compels us to share the gospel. Lots of things can compel us…such as sin or guilt or even inspiration. He shared the story of David and Saul, and where we find ourselves in that story. He wondered whether we are like Saul, scared and unable to act…Jesus is like David, who wins the victory for us. He told several stories from his life and his church that cause him to be humble about what he can accomplish. But ultimately it is Jesus’ victory that compels us to act.
The evening began and ended with some beautiful singing. I didn’t know all the songs, but they were pretty easy to learn, and very scripture focused. Scripture permeated the whole evening. I appreciated the thoughtful and gracious worship leading done by the male and female leaders. We ended the evening fittingly with communion.
I was glad to be part of a group of people from across the country worshipping God together. The words and music spoke to me, and helped me to consider God’s greatness, they helped me think about my own life, my own church, and our relationship to other churches across the country. I appreciated the spirit of humbleness that every speaker exhibited. We don’t know the answers, but we look to God for guidance. There was a spirit of joy as well, it is good to be together as brothers and sisters.
Sometimes in the past at MB conference events, the lack of women on the stage leading the service has been a stumbling block for me. In our service today, I appreciated that both men and women were allowed to lead and share their faith stories.
I am looking forward to what tomorrow will bring! I also know I will be careful to choose a seat further away from the big speakers…it was a little loud for me tonight when we were singing, the band was really rocking!
Love,
Carol Penner, Lendrum MB Church
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