Transformed | Inspired | Called

Ascension Day – a good day to go fishing?

- by Maurice Martin

I suspect that for most of us Ascension Day on May 14 this year passed by largely without notice, though some Mennonite Churches may have spoken of it on the following Sunday.  According to Acts 1:3 Jesus appeared for 40 days after his resurrection, and taught them about the coming Kingdom of God, then ascended into heaven.  Therefore, Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on the sixth Thursday, exactly 40 days after Easter. It is celebrated ecumenically across the Christian Church, following suggestions by various denominations of what to do on that day, or the following Sunday.

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Suivre les Pas de Jésus / Following in the Footsteps of Jesus

- by Ronald Alexandre

In English and French. En tant que disciples de Jésus, nous sommes appelés à prendre notre croix et à le suivre. Cela signifie prioriser notre relation avec Dieu et vivre notre foi dans notre vie quotidienne. Cela signifie être prêts à sacrifier nos propres désirs et intérêts pour le bien des autres. 

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Awesome Wonder

- by Ingrid Loepp Thiessen

Recently while flying from Winnipeg to Toronto, I found myself seated in front of two young children and their mom. The children had clearly never been on an airplane. They were full of questions: “When will it go up?” And they squealed with delight when the airplane did go up. “Are we in a cloud?” “What’s that down there?” “Where did the cloud go?” They chattered loudly about all the incredible things they were experiencing, a play by play of air travel from the uninitiated. It was delightful. I found myself smiling about their deep wonder and delight. 

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Dawn Chorus

- by Sue Carr

It’s early, still dark, and I’m awake.

Outside, a lone robin begins a few tentative notes. It repeats them, and then takes a break. A few bars of rest, and the phrase is sung again with some variations on the original theme.

With no knowledge of its audience, human or otherwise, the robin continues, and eventually others join in with an improvised counterpoint.

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Choose Glad Songs, Maybe Write One

- by Doug Schulz

My mother-in-law - who died this Valentines Day – had a delightful high-ranging soprano voice. Singing hymns and gospel tunes, she radiated faith and joy everywhere – in church, at prayer times before family meals in any of her eight children’s homes, in our car on a country drive (destination, “Happy Meal”), in the confines of her care-home wing during final months.

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

One Sky Over All: Building Faith and Community

- by George Best

The school where I did my undergraduate degree had a motto “One Sky Over All”. I was grounded in a studies of social development, peace and conflict and restorative justice. The spirit of God provided a framework and foundation for the narrow road ahead. I pondered how God led me through these interesting studies when the passage from the Matthew 25 and words of Jesus, confirmed my call. “When you did it onto these the least, you have done it onto me.”

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Finding Jesus in our Passion Time

- by Carol Penner

It’s the middle of Passion Week. The disciples at that time didn’t know that Jesus was about to die.

The disciples had come back to Jerusalem with Jesus, which was a risky move because of threats by the  religious authorities.  But Jerusalem gave Jesus a hero’s welcome and by the middle of the week nothing untoward had happened. For all we know, the disciples may have sat around predicting where Jesus would take them next…north, south, east?

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional

Palm Sunday Should be Renamed Donkey Sunday

- by Colin McCartney

It’s election season in Canada and as we think about which party to vote for, I am reminded of what my good friend Dr. Tony Campolo once said about politics and the church,

"Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn't do much to the manure, but it sure does ruin the ice cream.”

Transformed. Inspired. Called: An MCEC Devotional