Wildwords: Sermons From Wildwood Mennonite Church

In this second week of the Season of Creation, we listen to the sounds of creation for a language of belonging. All creation groans - and we groan with it - and all creation also sings. Are we listening? How do we respond? This sermon included the work of Graeme Dyck, a local sound artist. His piece, "Frost Worlds: Microgeographies of the Anthropocene," is a study on the ever-changing world around and within us, and provides the backdrop for a meditation on creation.

Today marks the beginning of our celebration of the "Season of Creation," a season in the ecumenical church calendar. As we embark on this journey together, we reflect on what peace with creation looks like through the words of the prophet Isaiah. We lament and celebrate creation and our role in it, and gather together at the Communion table.

So here we are, at the end of the world as we know it. Facing the beginning(s) of a world of unknowns and uncertainties, along with some definitely frightening realities and some resilient, grounded convictions. Where do we go from here? And how do we get there? Both are uncertain, but in this case putting the “how” before the “where” is exactly what we need to carry us through. For the church, the “how” is together: “the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope.” (Eph 4:4).

As we face our Doom via climate crisis or other unknowns, how can we plan for the uncertainty ahead? What are ways forward that might help us to protect what is most vulnerable, preserve what we can’t afford to lose, and provide seeds for rebirth on the other side of Doom? Brian McLaren proposes multiplicity and flexibility, because there is so much that we do not know and cannot predict. “Rather than tightly grasping at single solutions to help us regain a feeling of control, we need to loosen up our imagination, so we can imagine multiple ways through the turbulence, multiple routes to multiple safe landings.”

Listen! Wisdom cries out in the streets and builds her home on this earth. Are we listening? In our dance with doom, we rely on Wisdom in all her diversity to guide us. Our prayer is that we bear the fruit or bear characteristics of this ancient Wisdom, which is pure, peace-loving, gentle, full of mercy, and open to another's way of seeing and thinking (James 3:17).

So... how do you feel about the upcoming collapse of civilization? Not thrilled, I'm guessing? Well, good news: it's (pretty much) inevitable! And so is the reorganization, growth and thriving of the next form of civilization. Human civilizations follow this pattern--growth / stability / collapse / rebirth--and so does (almost) everything else in the universe. While that doesn't feel great for those in the midst of the collapse phase, we can recognize where we are, what comes next, and who is with us on the merry-go-round. Come and see!

Hope is complicated! How do we hold onto the good and beautiful things of this world when it's all a vapour, and we know that doom is coming? When we remind ourselves that "for everything, there is a season," we remind ourselves that our hope is found not in the outcome, but in the ups and downs of the journey, and the values that we live out each day.

A quick glance at any news source--let alone the comment section--raises questions about the crisis response capacity of most humans. When trouble comes our senses, emotions and mental processing are quickly overwhelmed and we react impulsively rather than rationally. How do we turn those reactions into thoughtful and intentional responses? Paying attention to what’s going on internally can serve us greatly in our encounters with Doom. Can we learn to listen to our feelings rather than being driven by them unconsciously?

“We need to face what we know. And we need to face what we don’t know. Only what is faced can be changed… Welcome to reality.” ~ Brian McLaren // Life After DoomThere is so much that is out of our control. As mortal individuals with significant physical, emotional and intellectual limitations. As a fragile species navigating a natural world of awesome power and violence. As inhabitants of a finite ball of a planet hurtling through an infinite universe. Thankfully, our psyches are well-prepared to keep us from spiraling into existential crises at every moment… but sometimes, those defenses also keep us from taking essential steps of prevention and healing.Our faith--in God, in science, in human ingenuity, in hope itself--often serves as a helpful shield, creating space for us to live well in spite of our limitations. And it also calls us to trust that we can and should be honest with ourselves in order to create essential change.

We were please to welcome Janeen Bertsche Johnson to speak to us via zoom this Sunday as part of our series The Whole Body: Towards Deeper Inclusion for All of Us.Janeen Bertsche Johnson has been campus pastor at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana for 30 years, and also has roles as admissions counselor, alumni director, and core adjunct faculty. She is in her final year of AMBS' Doctor of Ministry program, doing her dissertation on "Healing from Shame of Difficult Ministry Endings." Janeen and her husband Barry have two adult children and two grandsons. Janeen's presentation on "Autism and the Church" grows out of her 25 years experience with a daughter on the autism spectrum. For several years, she was one of the leaders of the Goshen (IN) Autism Parent Group, which provided resources and support to family members of autistic children and youth.

"Does God still speak to us today?" On this Pentecost Sunday, guest speaker Gareth Brandt wrapped up our weekend of celebrating the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of our Anabaptist Mennonite tradition. Looking backwards, our faith is grounded in the trust that God guided and indeed spoke to and through our spiritual ancestors in the Bible and throughout church history. What does it look like to pay attention to the voice of God here and now, speaking to us in much the same way? Gareth uses the inspiration of the prophet Joel to teach us how to listen and grow.

The good news of Jesus is for all! In Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip are moved by the Spirit to worship and learn in community and share this good news with one another and with us. The eunuch's question, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" is a call to the church to embrace all bodies, as scarred and beautiful as the body of Jesus.

Boundaries and lines serve a purpose: creating identity, making safe spaces to learn and grow, for protecting the vulnerable and using power appropriately--”elbows up!” And yet, from the beginning, God has always been present and moving beyond the lines we draw for ourselves and others. As we follow the biblical story, we can hear the voice of God constantly whispering "wider!"

What are you worth? In our world, so much of our value--how we see others and ourselves--is dependent on what we produce and contribute. Those who earn and build and create and help are valued and those who are seen as needing support and taking up resources are treated as problems to be fixed. What's behind that way of seeing the world? And is there a better way, not just for those with disability but for all of us?

The bible contains perspectives and language that both uplifts and, unfortunately, marginalizes people with disability. How do we change the narrative and create welcoming, inclusive spaces in the church? As the Beloved Community, we are called to recover these safe spaces, bring people back into belonging, and journey with those who are struggling to fit into a world that ignores or silences them.

What instructs you when you pray for others, particularly persons with disabilities? Could Jesus' words to Bartemaeus be a model for us? Audrey Mierau Bechtel shared our 5 Minute Focus on this brunch Sunday.

This sermon marks the beginning of our spring series, "The Whole Body: Towards Deeper Inclusion for All of Us" on disability and accessibility in the church. For this first Sunday, we were pleased to have Steve Grove as our guest speaker. Steve works as the manager of Camp Easter Seal, and he reflects on his work at the camp and as a pastor, drawing our attention to the story in John 9 and reminding us of our inherent worth with Ephesians 2:10 - "For you are God's masterpiece..."

This Resurrection Sunday, we're invited to the empty tomb to see and share the good news that Jesus is alive. We remember and honour the scars and wounds that we bear, and we remember that we bear the scarred image of the selfless Divine. In today's troubled and hurting world, what is the good news? How do we participate in the joy of liberation and live lives of selfless love?

The first Palm Sunday was a festive day of cheers, songs, and... tears? Even before the cries of "Hosanna" give way to the betrayals and trials of Holy Week, Jesus is defying the expectations of friends and foes alike. Why did everyone seem to miss what Jesus was doing and saying in these final days of his life? Do we see and hear any better or do our own expectations get in the way of seeing things clearly?

This Sunday we welcomed Dwight Eisler and his friend Lynal Ernest.From Dwight:Our lent season has the theme “Christ Collides” and this week it is “Christ collides with Our Blinders”. I think in some way we all struggle with seeing people as people at times. The scripture passages we read (Luke 18:31-19:10) talks about that. I want to focus on the process of getting to know the person we think is the “other”. I have gotten to know Lynal over the past three years in our community and we have had conversations that have been a wonderful learning experience for both of us. I have discovered that Lynal is a First Nations drummer, singer, travels extensively, and has begun to be a voice of sharing about First Nations at many gatherings. The process has deeply affected me, and I would like others to know about someone’s struggles and successes, so the “other” becomes a friend. I hope you find something engaging in this conversation with Lynal.