Henry Kliewer (Conference Minister, Mennonite Church in BC) spoke on Mission: A barrier to overcome or a bridge to cross. Using the example of how disastrous it is to put new wine that is still fermenting into old stretched wineskins, he suggested that Mennonites need to rethink the missional church, new ideas, new forms. He then looked at the story of Jesus meeting the woman from Samaria at the well, asking how we relate to people of different social, economic levels and different cultures. Jesus overcame these barriers by expressing his own need in order to elicit a response (asked for water). The second barrier was sin (5 marriages, possibly not her fault). Jesus went straight to the problem and addressed it, getting it out of the way kindly. The third barrier was the place of worship (must it be in Jerusalem) and Jesus declared that we can worship God anywhere. When Jesus built bridges over the barriers to this woman, she became one of Christ’s insiders and was a missionary to her people. Today’s issues tend to focus on differences of thinking about sexuality and gender, but the central question is “Do we know the Living Christ? Will we drink his living water?’ Henry urged us to keep bridging, searching for the key that will make communication possible. [JEK]

Passage: Luke 5:33-39
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Henry Kliewer
Worship Leader: Ken Friesen
Song Leader: Rosie Perera
Pianist: Ruth Enns
Usher:
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader: Mark Greenstreet

Bring Flowers: Peter & Helga Neudorf
Coffee Helper:
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: Earl Fast