“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 Doom There 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 awe…

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, an…

"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 …

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 Jesu…

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 …

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 the…

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…

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, drawin…

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 an…

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 …

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…

This week's parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16) is uncomfortable! A harsh condemnation, complete with angels, hellfire and "a great gulf fixed" between the two. Are the wealthy really doomed to a fate of torment? Should I be worried about my own selfish tendencies? Another disorienting week of Lent 2025... join us in the underworld, if yo…

This Sunday we got to view the Parables of the Lost Things in Luke 15:1-32 from three different perspectives. WMC’ers Kristen Harder, Marc Blain and Phyllis Goertz each shared a reflection on all or a portion of the scripture passage.

We often assume that as followers of Jesus, we are called not to condemn, but our passage from Luke 13 complicates that. Jesus refuses to condemn people who are suffering as "sinners" deserving of their fate, but he also has harsh words for political and religious leaders who abuse their power. So Jesus calls us not to condemn or dehumanize people,…

This season of Lent brings the series theme "Christ Collides." Apparently our encounters with the stories of Jesus are meant to leave us disturbed and disoriented, if not bruised and shaken. Ouch! Why would anyone sign up for that? Listen to "Collision Course" from Joe Heikman drawn from Luke 10:25-42.…

In Luke 9, Jesus takes three of his friends up a mountain for a dazzling display of glory: the Transfiguration. In the midst of their ministry and on the journey towards Jerusalem, they're offered a glimpse of what is to come. How do these mountain top moments shape us as we walk through the messiness of this world? Are we open to transformation in…

This Sunday’s service featured a “coffee shop conversation” between Lisi and Joe reflecting on Luke 6:27-38, the second part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. "Love your enemies...turn the other cheek... be merciful as God is merciful...etc." Does Jesus really mean for us to do all of that stuff? How can we possibly live up to those ideals? Join the c…

How do we respond to those who feel unworthy? How do we work at reframing the messages that have us believe we are not enough? How do we, like Jesus, call each other forward into hope, healing and worthiness? We were pleased to have our own Heather Peters (MCC SK Peacebuilding Coordinator) provide our 5-Minute Focus on this Brunch Sunday. In closin…

Luke 2 tells the story of Anna and Simeon, two elderly folks who interrupt baby Jesus' first trip to the Temple with their joyful proclamations. What is this simple story doing as the final story of Jesus' early days in Luke's gospel? Why do these old "prophets" matter and what could we learn from them about identity, hope and blessing?…

In Luke 4, Jesus begins his public ministry with an "inaugural" sermon in his hometown of Nazareth. His message, coming straight from the prophet Isaiah, bears a challenging word for his first audience and for us. In these challenging times, we ask ourselves: can we live out the radical message of the gospel, and what are we willing to endure and g…

We were pleased to have our friends Cheryl Woelk and Scott Kim visiting this Sunday. Scott and Cheryl are Mennonite Church Canada Liaison Workers in South Korea. They shared with us their experiences working for peace as Mennonite Christians in Korea.

"You want a new world? Great. Get real still and let the old world die." The promise (or threat?) of a whole new world is in the air all around us these days--politically, economically, ecologically and personally. How do we navigate the bumpy waters of change--longed for or forced upon us--in ways that lead to health and growth? And what does this…

Epiphany is the season after Christmas in which we celebrate the incarnation of the Divine, the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 2:1-12, we follow the journey of the "Magi" from the east to Bethlehem, learning that God works in unexpected ways and gifts come in unexpected places.…

With the prophet Isaiah, we imagine the world as it could be and full of life - flowers and rivers in the desert, and a Sacred Path back home. Jesus offers the same prophetic imagination to see the world differently. This transformation is slow but sure work, and we are invited to take part. As we wrap up this Advent season, we pray that hope and p…

Advent is a season of peace and love and harmony, as envisioned by the prophet Isaiah's poetry about wolves and lambs resting together, toddlers playing with vipers, vegetarian lions, etc. That sounds lovely (if a little boring), but... here in the real world, conflict and destruction persist, to put it lightly. Why do we care about an ancient, ide…

On this first Sunday of Advent, we ponder what it means to have hope along with Mary through the lens of The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). This song offers a word of hope for a waiting and oppressed people, and invites us to "go and do likewise" and join God in bringing hope to our hurting world.

On Eternity Sunday, the last Sunday of the traditional church calendar, at Wildwood we take time to name and grieve for our losses in the past year. This year's snow storm meant that only a few of us met at the church building while most others joined online. This solemn service raises big questions for many of us, especially about death, resurrect…

This week we were excited to have Wyndham Thiessen ( Executive Director/Community Leader) and Alecia Thompson join us from L’Arche Saskatoon. They talked about building community and referenced some scripture texts that are particularly relevant to them in this context. We have chosen L'Arche Saskatoon to be our Annual Community Partner this year a…

What Colour is your Faith? This summer at Wildwood, we're exploring the model of Spiral Dynamics as a way to understand the many different faith perspectives that are within and around all of us. Billie Eilish. Mumilaaq Taqqaq. Hannah Gadsby. (Yup, we are shamelessly celebrity name-dropping to clickbait you into checking out this week's sermon.) Bu…

What does it look like to break the cycle of shame in practical terms? Embracing vulnerability in your relationships, with yourself and with others. Ben and Joe explain what that might look like, and then a dance party breaks out. Seriously. The song Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars was removed from this recording due to copyright.…

The prayer that Jesus taught us, or the Lord's prayer, outlines a vision for the kin-dom of God on earth. This Peace Sunday, as we are surrounded by narratives of war, scarcity, and fear, how can we rewrite the stories? How can we reimagine the ancient vision of shalom (peace) and make it make sense for our world today? Note: Song recording Your Pe…

This Sunday Andy Arthur, MCC Thrift Coordinator for SK and AB shared with us about a recent MCC Learning Tour to Uganda that he and Lisi participated in.

The Beloved Community, sometimes called the Kingdom of God, is political. How do we share life together, as followers of Jesus and children of God? How can we practice politics in ways that limit our self-interest in order to lift up those with the greatest needs?

The Beloved Community is one vision for creating a “truly brotherly society” (Martin Luther King, Jr.), a call for solidarity and harmony between all people. For followers of the way of Jesus, an important dimension of this call is the spiritual. The prayer of Ephesians 3:14-21 is an encouragement for the church to orient ourselves to the “Infinite…

This Sunday Len Rempel, Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Saskatchewan joined us for our Service of Installation for our new co-pastor Lisi Schröttner. Len connected the stories of Jonah, Andrew and Mary Magdalene and spoke to us about their different calls and different responses to those calls from God.…

Matthew 25 contains a verse that may be familiar to many, and is used to promote the work of nonprofits and politicians the world over: "Just as you did to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me" (NRSV). Jesus is inviting us to reflect on where we saw him in the least of those around us. From the hungry to the thirsty to the stranger, do…

What do jewelry, land titles and pottery have to do with peace? Dwight Eisler was our speaker this week.

"Consider the fig tree," Jesus says in Mark 13. As sure as the greening tree signals the coming of summer, the end of the world is both immanent and unavoidable. How do we prepare for these endings, large and small? And what hopeful note is hidden in the image of the fig tree that is also renewed in its time?…

What does belonging look like? It seems to be a bit of a moving target these days, especially in faith communities. We were pleased to have Tristan Norton join us to share about belonging in the context of the Parable of the Prodigal Son in his sermon "The Journey Home: Rediscovering Community and Connection in God's Love."…

"But can you tell us, exactly, who is our neighbour?" This question prompted Jesus to tell the now-famous Parable of the Good Samaritan. A neighbour responds to the needs right in front of them. We know that one. But as Jesus didn't actually answer the question, it's up to us to work out who is our neighbour, right now?…

“One day, a farmer went out sowing seed…” The Parable of the Seeds and the Soils (Matthew 13) is a familiar one. Jesus describes different conditions under which people receive God’s Message as four different types of soil. Obviously, we are meant to be like the “good soil” that produces the best harvest—or is Jesus up to something entirely differe…

Nature is wild. Many of us miss that, hiding out in our climate-controlled homes and carefully manicured gardens... And yet, the wildness of life is ultimately unavoidable. Wilderness finds us, ready or not. As we continue our "Wild Church" series, how might engaging with the natural world help to prepare us to hear from God in the all-natural full…

This Sunday we had Lisi Schrottner share with us. In Deuteronomy 30, we've reached a point of transition and choice for the people of God. Following their wilderness wandering and giving of the Law, the Israelites are about to enter the "Promised Land". They are invited to heed the instruction they've just been given, and thus choose life. The way …

Anabaptism began in Europe in the 1500s in small, often intentionally isolated, agricultural communities for the better part of four centuries. In the past 100-150 years, Anabaptism has experienced major changes: shifting its center from Europe to North America and then to the global South, becoming increasingly modernized, and culturally and theol…

What does it mean to be part of the global Anabaptist body? Jesus spoke of being a vine to which we are connected (John 15:1-17). The Anabaptist branches of this vine are varied yet we remain one. We have siblings in the faith in Ethiopia, Thailand, Kenya, and the Philippines. Our stories are intertwined and sometimes it gets messy but we remain co…

"From their innermost being will flow rivers of living water," Jesus said. This "River of Life" flows within and all around us, the way of shalom. In the baptism ritual, we name and celebrate this living water. And in the communion ritual, we practice living this way of shalom, each in our part of the Body of Christ. Come on in, the water is fine!…

The Mennonite tradition claims two rituals as central to our practice: baptism and communion. While other denominations claim these (and others) as sacramental--the essential means by which God’s grace is given--we hold them as “merely” symbols--pointing to the more significant transformation in progress beyond these practices. Does that make them …

When we follow Jesus, we see him building bridges and tearing down walls between communities, offering forgiveness and mercy rather than judgment, standing with “the least of these” in service and solidarity. and choosing sacrificial love as the way to peace. As Mennonites, reconciliation--right relationships with one another and all of Creation--i…

What do lotus flowers, butterflies and honey bees have in common? Following our Sunday Brunch on this last Sunday of the month, Peter Lippmann shared with us some thoughts on patience drawn from Psalm 37:3-7 and Philippians 4:8.