What do we do when the church looks nothing like Jesus?

Many followers of Jesus feel disillusioned by a broken religion—one that loves political power, promises prosperity, and feeds on fear. We are desperately trying to rationalize how a loving God can be connected to unloving churches, institutions, and people. We can no longer deny that our version of Christianity is not just imperfect but has been co-opted to inflict violence, racism, abuse, hate, and even death. The question before many Christians is no longer how their faith can survive within a secular culture. It’s how their faith can survive Christianity itself.

In The Great Reckoning, writer Stephen Mattson writes out of the rubble of the failed American faith called Christendom. Instead of doomsaying or casting aspersions, however, Mattson offers hope for seekers looking for inspiration, solace for Christians fed up with an unsatisfying religion, and clarity for those sifting through the remains. The Great Reckoning is a clear-eyed yet tender critique of where we’ve gone wrong, and a guide away from the culture wars and toward the life of Jesus.

Rather than further immersing ourselves in Christendom, what if we started rethinking what it means to be a Christian in the first place? What if Christians shed the hopes and dreams of Christianity and turned instead of the Christ at the centre of our faith?

Consider this a dispatch from the wreckage of American cultural Christianity, and an ode to the Jesus-looking faith we seek.

"The Trump era has convinced many people of what they've long expected: the Christian faith has been hijacked. Political agendas, corrupt institutions, culture wars, and hypocrisy have poisoned a religion struggling to emulate the person of Jesus. In The Great Reckoning, writer Stephen Mattson navigates the difference between Christendom and Christ, and offers a way back toward the latter." - Benjamin Corey, author of Unafraid and Undiluted

What if prayer could be simple rather than strenuous?

Anxious, results-driven Christians can never pray enough, serve enough, or study enough. But what if God is calling us not to frenzied activity but to a simple spiritual encounter? What if we must merely receive what God has already given us?

In Flee, Be Silent, Pray, writer and contemplative retreat leader Ed Cyzewski guides readers out of the anxiety factory of contemporary Christianity and toward a God whose love astounds those quiet long enough to receive it. With helpful guidance into solitude, contemplative prayer, and practices such as lectio divina and the Examen, Cyzewski guides readers toward the Christ whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

Ready to shed the fear of the false self and the exhaustion of a duty-driven faith? Flee. Be silent. Pray.

“This book will challenge and change you. It will require things of you that you may not think you are capable of, but in the end you will discover that, instead of having read a typical how-to book, you have encountered a written icon: a window into God, allowing for deeper intimacy and understanding.” —Tara Owens, author of Embracing the Body and At Play in God’s Creation

Bill C-262 has passed 3rd reading in the House of Commons and is now up for debate in the Senate.

Request a package of free postcards and together with your church or community group, write our Senators, calling upon them to act for reconciliation between Indigenous and Settler peoples by supporting Bill C-262. Note that no postage required. All mail headed to the Senate is free!
Limit two packages per order.

Alternatively, if you can't wait for the postcards, please use this electronic letter—crafted by a coalition of faith based organizations— to write respective Senators immediately. It will only take a minute and it’s an impactful form advocacy that we encourage you to share with your community: https://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/advocacy/campaigns/call-your-senator-pass-bill-c-262

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has stated that the adoption and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is the key to genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and Settler peoples in Canada (Call to Action #43). Bill C-262 can help make that happen. Supported by a broad array of Indigenous, social justice, and faith-based organizations, Bill C-262 is “An Act to Ensure that the Laws of Canada are in Harmony with the UNDRIP.” The current government has expressed support for the Declaration. Now’s our chance to help them do the right thing…to help Canada take a tremendous step forward towards justice and healing.

Tips for hosting a postcard signing event in your community, and sample postcard messages, will be included in your order, and can also be downloaded here.

Also see related Support Indigenous Rights poster.

Please note that your contact information will be shared with Steve Heinrichs, our Indigenous-Settler Relations Director at Mennonite Church Canada, who may follow up with you to give support, make connections, and help build the movement.

Postcards are free. A flat shipping rate of $5.94/package (plus GST) will be applied. Postcards are bundled in packages of 450g, with an approximate count of 120 postcards.

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A 2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year.

Many people have questions about Scripture they are too afraid to ask. Are all the stories of the Bible true? What about all the books that got left out? What do we make of all that violence? What do we do when biblical authors seem to disagree? And what if we encounter situations the Bible doesn’t address?

Drawing from the best of contemporary biblical scholarship and the ancient well of Christian tradition, scholar and preacher Meghan Larissa Good helps readers consider why the Bible matters. Known for presenting complex theological ideas in accessible, engaging ways, Good delves into issues like biblical authority, literary genre, and Christ-centered hermeneutics, and calls readers beyond either knee-jerk biblicism, on the one hand, or skeptical disregard on the other.

Instead, The Bible Unwrapped invites readers to faithful reading, communal discernment, and deep and transformative wonder about Scripture. Join an honest conversation about the Bible that is spiritually alive and intellectually credible. Read the ancient story of God in the world. You may even learn to love it.

(9 Sessions)

"The Bible Unwrapped bears untold gifts, as rich and valuable in their own way as those brought to a child by wise ones two thousand years ago. Reading Scripture is the key to reading life which stands at the heart of following Jesus. Do not let this unique gift pass by unopened and unenjoyed." --Leonard Sweet, author, scholar, speaker

"You need this book in your church, and in your work with people who are searching for answers. It is the missing piece for our discussions on current topics and the Bible." --Dottie Escobedo-Frank, author, pastor, speaker

"For all its popularity, the Bible is often misunderstood. Meghan Larissa Good skillfully reminds us that the messy and sacred world of the Bible is not a how-to book for life but a window through which we can view God's story and encounter the living Christ." --Derek Hogan, assistant professor of New Testament, Campbell Divinity School

This year’s Lent materials hope to help us rediscover and reclaim confession. More than just telling God how we’ve messed up; confession includes affirming our faith in God, whose love stays with us and pursues us through the outstretched arms of Jesus. As we become aware of the intensity of this love, we respond with newfound love and thankfulness to Jesus for stretching out his arms to save us.

Use the resource whenever and however it fits into your home’s routines and life stage realities. If your family has younger children, feel free to simplify, shorten and paraphrase the prayers and pondering thoughts. To use this booklet for daily worship times, repeat the litany for each day of the week, and read the daily scripture recommendations, which have been divided into seven short readings.

Format: hardcover

Welcome to an Amish home. It’s rare for outsiders to see inside the homes of Old Order Amish people, who live their Christian faith in community, simplicity, and humility. An Amish family in the Midwest gives us a glimpse into the intimate spaces where their family life unfolds. Patterns of work, play, fellowship, and worship become visible, and the warmth and light of the rooms bear witness to their love for God and for each other. Come in!

“With beautiful photos and respectful text, this book introduces you to the heart of Amish life. The home remains central to Amish experience—a place not only of daily chores and mealtime conversation but also the site of childbirth, church services, weddings, and funerals.“ —Steven M. Nolt, author of The Amish: A Concise Introduction

Humanity is nearing a technological tipping point. The blistering pace of technological, scientific, and social change is ushering in an era in which human bodies merge with devices, corporations know everything about us, and artificial intelligence develops human and even godlike potential. In possession of the most powerful tools history has ever seen, we will be faced with questions about wisdom, authority, faith, desire, and what it means to be human.

In Braving the Future, Douglas Estes equips Christians to thoughtfully and prayerfully prepare for a future of technological reign that is rapidly expanding. Drawing on Scripture, Christian tradition, and scientific literature, Estes offers a theology of work, creation, and personhood that is both prophetic and sturdy enough to keep pace with the technology of a future as yet unknown. He helps readers choose trust in God over fearful retreat and following Jesus over uncritical engagement with technology. The future may not look exactly like a science fiction movie, but are we ready to brave a future of limitless tech and boundless change?

(9 Sessions)

“Douglas Estes has distinguished himself as not only a top-rate exegete of Scripture but also a cutting-edge exegete of culture. That’s why I can’t wait to get my hands on Braving the Future. We can count on Estes to offer us penetrating insights into what Scripture has to say about work, creation, and personhood, as well as faithful analysis of our tech-saturated world. Better yet, we can rely on him to guide us toward Christian fidelity in the face of some unprecedented technological changes in the years ahead.” - Todd Wilson

Format: Hardcover

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"The Word is embodied in a trajectory of hope, justice, and peace in creation and history. We see this embodiment, particularly in this day, in the rights of indigenous peoples, which critically intersect with the well-being of the planet's ecosystems." -- The Right Rev. Mark MacDonald

Contents:

• Introduction: Message from The Right Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Bishop, Anglican Church of Canada
• How to Use This Resource
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Take a prayerful journey through the Christian calendar year with Steve Bell’s new book series. The seven-book series includes devotional reflections on the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Ordinarytime. Drawing on poetry, music, history and tradition, Steve’s unique reflections animate a rich spiritual tradition for the seasoned and the novice alike.

Purchase as a boxed set (without CDs), or buy books and CDs individually. Consider also the two-disc companion CD, corresponding to the Pilgrim Year book series. Included are seasonal songs drawn from Steve’s three-decade catalogue of music.

This boxed set price does not include the CDs. Please purchase the CDs separately.

Also see related book launch video.

Is self-care different from being selfish or self-indulgent? Is it the same as caring for your soul? And what does self-care look like in light of following Jesus, who called his followers to deny themselves?

In Four Gifts, pastor and author April Yamasaki addresses these and other questions about self-care. Drawing on the ancient scriptural command to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, Yamasaki helps readers think about the spiritual dimensions of attending to your own needs, setting priorities, and finding true rest in a fast-paced world. She weaves together personal stories, biblical and theological insights, questions for reflection, and practical ideas for self-care. Four Gifts helps readers sustain their spirits and balance competing demands.

Feeling overwhelmed by the pace and stress of daily life? Find respite from superficial definitions of self-care and move toward deeper engagement with God.

Includes practical ideas for habits and practices that centre the heart, soul, mind and strength on God.

(16 sessions)

"In Four Gifts, April's powerful insights are on brilliant display. With an integrative mind-body-spirit approach and the rich wisdom of a woman of color's life well-spent, Yamasaki leads us on a journey that is worth following." - Christina Cleveland, author of Disunity in Christ

Bill C-262 has passed 3rd reading in the House of Commons and is now up for debate in the Senate.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has stated that the adoption and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is the key to genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and Settler peoples in Canada (Call to Action #43). Bill C-262 can help make that happen. Supported by a broad array of Indigenous, social justice, and faith-based organizations, Bill C-262 is “An Act to Ensure that the Laws of Canada are in Harmony with the UNDRIP.” The current government has expressed support for the Declaration. Now’s our chance to help them do the right thing…to help Canada take a tremendous step forward towards justice and healing.

We invite you to print and use this poster.

Also see related Let's Walk the Talk of Reconciliation with Bill C-262 postcards.

Are you rapture ready?

As a teenager in the buckle of the Bible Belt, Zack Hunt was convinced the rapture would happen at any moment. Being ready meant never missing church, never sinning, and always listening to Christian radio.

But when the rapture didn’t happen, Hunt’s tightly wound faith began to fray. If he had been wrong about the rapture, what else about his faith might not hold water?

Part memoir, part tour of the apocalypse, and part call to action, Unraptured traces how the church’s focus on escaping to heaven has it mired in decay. Teetering on the brink of irrelevancy in a world rocked by refugee crises, climate change, war and rumors of war, the church cannot afford to focus on the end times instead of following Jesus in the here and now. Unraptured uses these signs of the times to help readers reorient their understanding of the gospel around loving and caring for the least of these.

What do we do with the Old Testament? How do we read words written in a world so different from ours, stories so ruthless and so filled with grace?

In Fire by Night, pastor Melissa Florer-Bixler invites readers to marvel at the Old Testament. Page after page, in stories and poems and prophecies, the Hebrew Scripture introduces us to a God who is unwieldy and uncontrollable, common and extraordinary, and who brings both life and death. Using stories from Scripture and from her ministry, Florer-Bixler braids together the text with the sometimes ordinary, sometimes radical grace of God. The same passages that confuse and horrify and baffle us can, if we are paying attention, lure us closer toward God. This God has traveled with people through cloud and fire, by day and by night, since the beginning of time.

The Old Testament is a perplexing book of profound grace, hope, and beauty. It’s a book of fire. To read the Old Testament is to draw close to God’s love, which continues to burn away our expectations and set us ablaze. This God has traveled with people through pillars of cloud and fire, by day and by night, since the days of the exodus.

“Fire by Night encapsulates Melissa Florer-Bixler’s delight of Scripture, ancient literature, and God. By interweaving assiduous exegesis and personal storytelling, Florer-Bixler invites the reader into relationship with the text, with the voices and experiences of scholars and neighbors, with herself, and most importantly, with God. I found myself challenged as a theologian, inspired as a pastor, and in tears as a person of faith trying to make sense of it all. What makes Fire by Night such an important book is that it speaks to today’s issues without being prescriptive, but by beckoning each of us to take the risk of simply being God’s beloved.” —Theresa S. Thames, associate dean of religious life and the chapel, Princeton University

Preaching is a challenging, privileged, and awesome responsibility. As important as mining the text for its meaning and message and making connections to our twenty-first-century world is the responsibility to engage the imaginations of the people in the pews (or chairs).

In this book, Ray Friesen—life-long preacher and retired pastor—has provided twenty examples of how to be creative and engage those imaginations. Most were written under the pressures of bi-vocational ministry (preaching forty times a year as half-time pastor and operating a mediation practice). They are offered to you, not as sermons for you to preach, but as examples of what is possible, even with all the other responsibilities you may have.

Each sermon and type of creativity will create an opportunity to set your imagination and creativity free to engage the imaginations, hearts, and dreams of your parishioners.

“I picked up this book in the middle of my work day and had read to the end of the second chapter before I could force myself to put it down. I literally ‘jumped in’ and was soon caught up in the images that Ray creates. I can’t wait to try out some of his story-telling techniques on Sunday morning.” — Annette Taylor, First United Church, Swift Current, Saskatchewan

"In this book, Ray calls all preachers to use their imaginations to reach God's people in relevant and interesting ways. Ray emphasizes the importance of the task of preaching and the contextualization of the ancient writings. This is not a ‘how-to’ textbook, but if you are looking for some renewal in your preaching, this is a great book to inspire one’s imagination for inspirational proclamation.” — Gregory Kiel, Senior Pastor Southwest Lutheran Parish, Swift Current, Saskatchewan

“Unlike other great preachers, Ray Friesen never preached to thousands on a Sunday morning, so I am glad that a collection of his sermons is available so that more can experience and appreciate his creative and engaging sermons.” — Gareth Brandt, Professor of Spiritual Formation, Columbia Bible College