MWC Journal
I tagged along to a congregational meeting of the Mennonite Brethren church this evening. (The "East" MB church to be precise; there's 2 in town.) The main agenda was reports about the MWC Assembly, so I was curious to hear the impressions and stories of others.
About 100 had attended from the congregation, though many were not yet back. Pastor Heinz Dieter Giesbrecht showed slides and gave a broad overview. The two emphases that he heard over and over, he said, were Christ at the centre, and service. He expressed his amazement at how smoothly everything had gone. (I agree; for sure the daily feeding of the 5,000+ was something to behold!)
About 100 had attended from the congregation, though many were not yet back. Pastor Heinz Dieter Giesbrecht showed slides and gave a broad overview. The two emphases that he heard over and over, he said, were Christ at the centre, and service. He expressed his amazement at how smoothly everything had gone. (I agree; for sure the daily feeding of the 5,000+ was something to behold!)
Others who shared their impressions very much echoed what he said – how large our church family is, and how diverse it is. One man noted that "not everything was the way we're used to it," and "not everything pleased us," this latter in relation to "social and political" matters. But generally, it seems, Assembly has made a deep impression of, also in this man's words, "how large/diverse [vielfaltig] God is."
Another told a story of meeting some Congolese men, and though they could not understand one another, they had taken a photo and eaten together. Later in the week, these men encountered him again and insisted on giving him a gift, some beautiful cloth from DR Congo "for his wife."
Hearing this story, I remembered that the "list of things to bring" had included "gifts." I brought hostess gifts, yes, but I don't think I took this quite as literally as these brothers from Congo. I wished I had.
Hearing this story, I remembered that the "list of things to bring" had included "gifts." I brought hostess gifts, yes, but I don't think I took this quite as literally as these brothers from Congo. I wished I had.
This will probably be my last post for this journal, unless I manage to get to some of the Assembly Scattered events here and feel inspired to share. Thanks so much for reading along! May all of us, present or afar, be inspired by the Assembly theme to "Come together in the way of Jesus Christ" and by the Assembly text, Philippians 2:1–11. "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus..."
—posted by DD
Assembly 15 has come to an end.
Assembly Gathered, that is. I haven't heard official figures for attendance at the final service in Asunción this morning, but someone who was there said that if the building holds 10,000 people, there must have been at least 9,000 who came. All three levels of seating must have been full. That final service was open to the public.
The service was carried live by radio here in the Chaco. In Filadelfia, most churches were closed, so people could participate. The interest here among those who didn't attend in person seems very strong; radios and televisions have been tuned into the event wherever we've been.
Assembly Scattered continues for a few more days, however. People could travel to various places both before and after the Asuncion gathering, to learn and participate in local congregational and community life. The Faith & Life Choir from Winnipeg will be coming to the Chaco, giving a concert here in Filadelfia (Colony Fernheim's centre) tomorrow evening. Some 50 Aboriginal people from other parts of the world will be coming here as well. For several days they'll be touring and meeting with indigenous peoples here in the Chaco. Both the Nivacle and Lengua (Enlhet) churches are hosting inter-ethnic services in their churches on Tuesday evening.
So the excitement and fellowship isn't over yet!
—posted by DD
Every evening, Assembly services from the day before are carried on the local (Chaco) television channel. After our sister's funeral, burial, and the lunch and sharing time in the church hall, a number of us siblings and spouses gathered at one brother's house. He and his wife have been following the conference via TV, and so too, this evening, we tuned in. It was the Friday morning service.
It was interesting to watch what we had already experienced. Television, of course, determines what we see of an event. Here, it directed its constant eye and ours to the stage program. It gave us steady close-ups. It focused our attention. It was a good concentrated view. What it could not convey was the sense of being in the middle of the "crowd shot." Especially during the singing, where it gave us mainly the platform voices and not the thousands singing along in their or someone else's language.
—posted by DD
Saturday, July 18 — I
We set out for the Chaco this morning, with Dieter and Elfriede Franz, a niece and her husband, who were also going to the funeral of Helmut's sister. Since I may have been taking some things for granted in my posts, I'll just explain that the Chaco is the region of Paraguay where the first immigrant Mennonites settled, in 3 colonies: Menno, Fernheim, Neuland. It took us about 4½ hours, and as one drives northwest, the palm plains near Asunción and the Paraguay River gradually give way to a denser, thornier vegetation. But the same flat terrain throughout, and the huge embracing sky above so familiar to those of us who grew up or live on the Canadian prairies.
As we travelled, we talked about many things, including their and our impressions of the MWC Assembly, at least as far as we had all been able to participate. Dieter is the leader of the "Gemeinde Kommittee" or association of evangelical Mennonite churches, that is, of the 31 German-language congregations in Paraguay. (This group does 2 large programs together: the hospital for leprosy patients called Km. 81, and the Christlicher Dienst [CD] or Christian service program.) He remarked that from the perspective of a family gathering, it was very good. From the theological perspective, there had already been, and would undoubtedly be later, among these pastors, much discussion and some discomfort. One area of discomfort concerns MWC's dialogue with the Catholic church. Some are somewhat skeptical about that dialogue, and some also fearful.
Among the positive effects is the way "Mennonite" as name and theological identity/belonging is being stretched. As also suggested in my earlier post about Ditrich Pana's testimony, Dieter said that since the MWC assemblies in India and Zimbabwe, and now with the planning of this event, the indigenous churches have become quite intentional about calling themselves Mennonite. Niece Elfrieda told about their son-in-law whose job in Asunción brings him into contact with many Paraguayans, and they've been asking him "Are there other people who are Mennonite?" He's been trying to explain and also inviting to the Sunday service, which will be open to the public.
—posted by DD
Friday, July 17 — III
Friday afternoon, a lovely day after a somewhat coolish week, Helmut and I went on one of the tours on offer. First we went to the Mennonite "campus" where both the Concordia school – a Mennonite private school for all grades – and Concordia Church are located. The church is a relatively new red-brick building, unadorned and functional, and is shared by the Mennonite Church and Mennonite Brethren congregations. One group meets Sunday morning, the other Sunday afternoon. It's the only German-language Mennonite church in the city; the others are Spanish speaking.
The tour then took us into the heart of the city where we visited the cathedral and other sights. Asunción is a very old city. It was founded August 15, 1537, as a headquarters for the Spanish conquerors. It is sometimes called "the mother of cities," since other cities, such as Santa Cruz, for example, were founded as a result of expeditions made from this base.
Paraguay has a long, fascinating, and bloody history, too long and bloody to get into here. But here's some current statistics given us by our guide that have stayed with me. The country has some 6 million people. Of those 6 million people, 2 million are poor, and 1 million of those poor are "extremely poor," he said, living on less than 5000 Guaranis (about a dollar) a day. (I guess that's why the little fellow who slipped up beside Helmut as he was getting his change from a souvenir purchase was so ecstatic when Helmut slipped him a 5000 G. note!)
Paraguay has a long, fascinating, and bloody history, too long and bloody to get into here. But here's some current statistics given us by our guide that have stayed with me. The country has some 6 million people. Of those 6 million people, 2 million are poor, and 1 million of those poor are "extremely poor," he said, living on less than 5000 Guaranis (about a dollar) a day. (I guess that's why the little fellow who slipped up beside Helmut as he was getting his change from a souvenir purchase was so ecstatic when Helmut slipped him a 5000 G. note!)
Paraguay also has 11 million cattle. This is a beef -producing and beef-eating country! It's been a while since I had a piece of beef on my plate as large as the ones we were served for supper this evening at Assembly!
—posted by DD
Friday, July 17 — II
If you happen to see Assembly photos now, or later, you may notice people with face masks.
There's been a big emphasis on health matters. Anyone who is coughing or anything of that sort, must wear a mask. And, we've been told more than once, if we're feeling any kind of illness whatever, to report to the health room. Anyone with a fever will have to leave, etc.
There were also, at the beginning, encouragements to not shake hands or embrace, to rather adopt the Japanese custom of bowing, but that is a habit too difficult to learn on short notice.
So we keeping reaching out our hands, and hugging too, but keep washing hands extra long, and there are young people with canisters of antiseptic spray at every meal line-up and we all reach out our hands for a shot of it.
This is all because of the H1N1 (swine) flu; with a crowd this size and from so many countries, coming and returning again, the folks here in charge of health are understandably nervous, and cautious.
—posted by DD
Friday, July 17 — I
Forgive me that the very personal must intrude into this journal. My husband and I received the news that his sister, Elfriede (Dueck) Eitzen, of Filadelfia, Fernheim, in the Chaco, has died. She was a beautiful, quiet woman of extraordinary inner strength, mother of 5 fine children, several among them in positions of leadership in Paraguay's Mennonite communities. I found an alone spot in the back of a room where the Faith and Life choir was practicing for their stage-time (coming up Saturday), to cry and to be comforted by the words of their songs.
We knew Elfriede was dying and had so hoped to see her yet, during a short visit to the Chaco after Assembly. We were also praying for God's timing in this, and must accept this then as that answer. The last years for her have included a series of various cancers, the last being a brain tumor. We feel ourselves fortunate to be able to participate, with the rest of Helmut's family, in the funeral. Living in Canada, neither of us has been able to be present at the funerals of his father and mother, so this is a more significant privilege than I can really describe.
Since the funeral is on Saturday, however, it means we will miss the last 2 days of Assembly (Saturday and Sunday). This too seems a loss, to leave this wonderful gathering early. I have not yet had my fill of this vast, wonderful family and this event.
—posted by DD
Thursday, July 16 — II
Ditrich Pana, an Enlhet (formerly known as Lengua) preacher from the Chaco in Paraguay, gave the sermon this evening, on Acts 2:46–47. "Unity in Christ." He said that he took 3½ months to thoroughly study the book of Acts. He found 37 instances where the word unity or something connoting it is found in that story of the early church.I was particularly struck by his testimony of his exchange with a "uniformed man" (policeman) outside the Assembly complex, one of the officers in the area for traffic and security issues. Seeing his MWC tag perhaps, the officer had asked the elderly preacher, "Are you a Mennonite?"
This surely must have struck the officer as strange, for in this country the label Mennonite is generally applied to the fair-skinned, Germanic or Canadian background folks who live here, the producers of cheese and other dairy products. Certainly not applied to the indigenous peoples, often considered by the general population as lower status.
This surely must have struck the officer as strange, for in this country the label Mennonite is generally applied to the fair-skinned, Germanic or Canadian background folks who live here, the producers of cheese and other dairy products. Certainly not applied to the indigenous peoples, often considered by the general population as lower status.
"I said, 'I am a Mennonite,'" Mr. Pana said.
"Through the Holy Spirit I said, 'Yes, I am a Mennonite.'" The way he told the story, it was clear this assertion had to do with his deep conviction and experience of union with Christ and also with a larger spiritual family through baptism. It had nothing – and everything – to do with status. Who we are in Christ, which has everything to do with who we are as people in relation to each other.
"Through the Holy Spirit I said, 'Yes, I am a Mennonite.'" The way he told the story, it was clear this assertion had to do with his deep conviction and experience of union with Christ and also with a larger spiritual family through baptism. It had nothing – and everything – to do with status. Who we are in Christ, which has everything to do with who we are as people in relation to each other.
I wondered, when is the last time I've asserted I'm Mennonite "through the Holy Spirit"?
—posted by DD
Another rich service of Bible study, prayer, and information this morning. The speaker was Antonio Gonzalez of Spain, on Jesus' prayer in John 17. Jaime Prieto of Costa Rica told us about the Latin American Mennonite history book, the 3rd volume in the Global History Project, and Claire Brenneman of USA, a former PAXer (PAX was a service branch of MCC earlier), recalled the MCC PAX project that built the road into the Paraguayan Chaco, which gave the pioneering Mennonite colonies there better access to the capital and markets. Adjusted for inflation, the building of the 250-mile road was MCC's largest project ever, until the 2004 tsunami response. Today more than 50% of Paraguay's dairy products come from the Chaco, down this Transchaco highway (it's been asphalted in the meantime).
He had barely begun speaking when the power went out. The huge 3-level windowless sanctuary was dark. There was a slight collective gasp but no one panicked. In moments, Assembly songleader Paul Dueck and his team were leading us in singing, a capella. First "Alleluia," then the well-known Spanish gospel song, "Alabaré [praise], a mi Señor," then the German hymn "Grosser Gott, wir loben dich." As the lights at the edge of the auditorium began to come on, we were singing an MWC favourite, "We are walking... walking... in the light of God." Singing in the dark – an unexpectedly memorable interlude.
When power was fully restored, Mr. Brenneman carried on to the next sentence of his report as if nothing unusual had happened.
—posted by DD
Wednesday, July 15 — II
Edith Dyck of Crossroads MB Church, Winnipeg, had a very exciting afternoon today.
She's a teacher in a Canadian prison and was determined to go on the service opportunity to the prison in Asunción. (The afternoons offer an array of workshops, tours, displays, and service opportunities).
It was full, but she came back to see if a space had opened up. They'd added a van to take more people. But now she needed to be attired in a skirt to enter the prison, and she was wearing pants. So she bought one of the blankets being sold at Assembly and wrapped it around her. Voila, a skirt!
"It was so worth it!" she told a group of us waiting together for our ride back to the hotel. Edith described how Paraguayan Mennonite Brethren have taken responsibility for a 600-man section of the (much larger) prison. There's an MB congregation in that part of the prison now, with some 200 members! The recidivism rate for men from that section is 12%, versus 70% in the other prison population.
(And the skirt-blanket kept me warm in the chilly evening air while she told us the story. Later, Edith handed it on to someone else who needed an extra blanket for the night.)
—posted by DD
Wednesday, July 15 — I
Something really moving happened this morning, almost first thing in the service.
There was an item in the program that said "Lutheran World Federation, Ishmael Noko, Zimbabwe/Switzerland." I assumed it was some greeting or other, of no particular significance beyond the general significance of greetings, which all programs go through to get to the main thing: the message!
Turned out that Dr. Noko has been working, along with the others and the MWC, to "lift [a] burden" from our mutual shoulders. I'll write more about this in my report in September's Herald, but the gist of it was a heartfelt admission that the persecution – and execution – of Anabaptists by Lutherans back in the 16th century, set down in some of the "anathemas" in the Augsburg Confession, "this history of condoning persecution," as he put it, "is a spiritual wound we carry around in us."
Lutherans are seeking a new footing for our relationship, one which addresses this history, and makes possible a healthier dialogue. A number of the condemnations in the Confession, he said, can be set aside. As I understood it, the Federation will be addressing this in their gathering in October. This was like the "poison of a scorpion" in them, he said, but the Anabaptists did not strike back. People responded to Dr. Noko's expression of "deep repentence and regret" by standing, and then, MWC president Danisa Ndlovu responded to the statement by assuring the Lutheran World Federation we are willing to receive these words and walk together, as our Assembly theme puts it, in the way of Jesus Christ.
There was an item in the program that said "Lutheran World Federation, Ishmael Noko, Zimbabwe/Switzerland." I assumed it was some greeting or other, of no particular significance beyond the general significance of greetings, which all programs go through to get to the main thing: the message!
Turned out that Dr. Noko has been working, along with the others and the MWC, to "lift [a] burden" from our mutual shoulders. I'll write more about this in my report in September's Herald, but the gist of it was a heartfelt admission that the persecution – and execution – of Anabaptists by Lutherans back in the 16th century, set down in some of the "anathemas" in the Augsburg Confession, "this history of condoning persecution," as he put it, "is a spiritual wound we carry around in us."
Lutherans are seeking a new footing for our relationship, one which addresses this history, and makes possible a healthier dialogue. A number of the condemnations in the Confession, he said, can be set aside. As I understood it, the Federation will be addressing this in their gathering in October. This was like the "poison of a scorpion" in them, he said, but the Anabaptists did not strike back. People responded to Dr. Noko's expression of "deep repentence and regret" by standing, and then, MWC president Danisa Ndlovu responded to the statement by assuring the Lutheran World Federation we are willing to receive these words and walk together, as our Assembly theme puts it, in the way of Jesus Christ.
What's fascinating about this is that both men, representing their respective bodies, Anabaptist and Lutheran, are from Zimbabwe. Ishmael Noko's mother, in fact, was a Brethren in Christ woman who happened to marry a Lutheran. Said Larry Miller, general secretary of MWC, "Divine providence has brought these [two leaders] together."
God for sure, and also, I think we can gather from that bit of family history, we can give some credit to the love of a man and a woman!
—posted by DD
God for sure, and also, I think we can gather from that bit of family history, we can give some credit to the love of a man and a woman!
—posted by DD
The opening evening of Assembly was rich and colourful, and unmistakeably Paraguayan. The Paraguayan Harp Orchestra (20 harpists, together with guitars) played and local religious and civil dignitaries were on hand to be introduced and recognized. And, for the first time in MWC assembly history, the platform language was not English but Spanish.
Still, something of the last assembly in Zimbabwe seemed to carry over and bless this event. We sang the song that became such a favourite at that event, Hakuna akaita (There is none like Jesus), turning and looking, along with the words "We turned round and round, We searched everywhere, But we found none like Jesus. A Zimbabwean choir sang.
Then, at the end of the evening, outgoing MWC president Nancy Heisey presented the new president, Danisa Ndlovu, who's been vice-president. He's the head of the Brethren in Christ church in Zimbabwe, leading his church through a very difficult time.
—posted by DD
The registration numbers they're giving us here in the press room is 5,604, at this point. It's been amazing to watch the people streaming to the Centro to register. I'm in awe of the logistics involved in planning such an event – feeding us all, getting us back and forth from lodging, and everything else.
It's fun to watch people discovering each other too, and the warm greetings that ensue. We've had a few of these ourselves. My husband Helmut grew up in Paraguay and still has family here, so we've met nieces and nephews and their spouses, and cousins, and friends too from the couple of years we lived here ourselves as a young family. The biggest personal surprise was seeing his sister and her husband from the Chaco, as she's had health issues and we weren't expecting her. What a privilege to enjoy the opening service together.
It's fun to watch people discovering each other too, and the warm greetings that ensue. We've had a few of these ourselves. My husband Helmut grew up in Paraguay and still has family here, so we've met nieces and nephews and their spouses, and cousins, and friends too from the couple of years we lived here ourselves as a young family. The biggest personal surprise was seeing his sister and her husband from the Chaco, as she's had health issues and we weren't expecting her. What a privilege to enjoy the opening service together.
—posted by DD
Enroute, last flight:
"It's about the journey, not the destination," it's often said in reference to one life project or another. But this trip – this 30+ hours of airplanes; airports; trying to sleep while sitting; queues, officials, and forms; underway and waiting – is simply about the destination: Asunción, the capital of Paraguay.
Not to be melodramatic about it, but we just want to be there already. Where the global Mennonite and Brethren in Christ family is meeting this week. Some 6,000 of us.
We've had a sense from notices and information emails how much work has gone into preparing for this gathering. The hosts and planners have been working for months; years, some of them. "Someone from MWC will be meeting you when you arrive," one letter promises. Will be meeting you. Is there anything more wonderfully family, more hospitable, than that?
Not to be melodramatic about it, but we just want to be there already. Where the global Mennonite and Brethren in Christ family is meeting this week. Some 6,000 of us.
We've had a sense from notices and information emails how much work has gone into preparing for this gathering. The hosts and planners have been working for months; years, some of them. "Someone from MWC will be meeting you when you arrive," one letter promises. Will be meeting you. Is there anything more wonderfully family, more hospitable, than that?
Postscript:
We get here; we are well met. We are taken to our lodgings together with a Mennonite woman from Africa who has been enroute even longer than we. She settles into the van and clasps and lifts her hands. "Thank you Jesus," she says, "that I'm here."
Our sentiments exactly.
—posted by DD
Sunday, July 12
Welcome to the MWC Journal at the MB Herald. Interim editor Dora Dueck will be posting periodic updates from the world-wide gathering of Anabaptists in Paraguay. All photos were taken by Meetinghouse photographer Lowell Brown.
Assembly 15 runs from July 14–July 19.
—posted by KB
