 A few weeks ago, I joined a group of colleagues for a meeting where we were brainstorming ways for a Mennonite studies scholarship project we participate in to keep pace with things like the changing flows of information, open access journals, and best social media practices. One of the things I caught myself thinking in that get together was this: “If this project ever has a significant web presence and hits the internet big time, I sure hope it doesn’t have a comments section!”
I'm a bit of a congregational song nerd, and the church music folks I know talk about things like "sound pools" and "heart songs."
Sound pools are what Mennonite musician, teacher, and hymnologist Mary Oyer and her students (who became my teachers) describe as the body of music that a culture or community shares. The melodies, rhythms, and accompaniments feel right and familiar because they connect with the vibrations of our bodies This Sunday's passage from Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome seems to be an example of Year C's theological focus on those who are living in a state of alienation from Jesus Christ and the church. Yet when I think about rebuilding the bridges of love, trust, and belonging in contemporary Christian community, Paul isn't the first person who comes to mind. Callista Isabelle notes that if you want to create division, one tried and true approach is to "just start talking about who is saved and who is not. Set up the criteria, then point out who is in and who is out.
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