Confession: I have extremely archaic ideas about male behavior. I know they are archaic, but I hold to them stubbornly nonetheless. ***** I stood in line at a busy supermarket, a cartful of groceries in front of me, my sister-in-law in line behind me. We stood there, chatting and waiting, comparing bargains. Waiting longer. Chatting […]
A tale of two gentlemen Read More »
Once upon a time, an eligible and attractive young man named Ryan attended a weekend conference. Just your average Mennonite conference on a hot summer weekend. Lots of men preached. Old friends met up. Music happened. Good food was served. Young men thought of young women. A certain John Coblentz and his family also attended
Confession: Sometimes I am not very nice to him. Who would have guessed it, in the dreamy days when his voice on the phone was just the sound I longed to hear, nourishing a place deep inside me? Who would have guessed it, in the blissful days of leisurely picnics, happy reunions, endless hours of
Thirty days of honor Read More »
I sat beside him long ago when the brush of his sleeve against mine sent fire all down my body. I sat beside him hundreds of times when his arm was solid and comforting against my own. I sat beside him when there was such pain between us I shied away from the softest touch of
I knew I’d be glad I asked you. Super food ideas, ya’ll. Keep it coming. –Shari ***** Today I share, with permission, a composition from a younger Zook. It wasn’t intended for my eyes at all, but I stumbled across it–and fell in love with his perfect mix of humble pie and protest. *Drop your arrows
How to stop a fight Read More »
When I was a child, I had more grandmothers than I could count—grandmothers and step-grandmothers and great-grandmothers, all beloved— but only one Grandpa. Grandpa was from Minnesota—a tough cookie, hardly sick a day in his life. He loved snow and popcorn and apple cider and northern lakes. He could tell stories that left us in
Remembering Grandpa Read More »
Side notes: First of all, thanks to those of you who shared glimpses from personal experience—I am honored by your honesty. You round out the discussion in ways I cannot. I want you to know that in all I say, I am not trying to pressure anyone into a box. My goal is not to
A room in the house Read More »
Confession: Sometimes I think that being Mennonite is like being part of a big butte out west. That’s what my husband says. When you look at a butte, you think—Whoa, where’d that growth come from? What subterranean forces heaved it out of the earth? But it didn’t grow at all. At one point the whole
Mennonites and metaphors Read More »
I see some of us are still frozen with horror at the idea that anyone would actually love being a Mennonite. Or not love being a Mennonite. I said “sometimes,” alright then? I didn’t mean to sound arrogant, as though Mennonites have a corner on church life. I recently heard Anabaptists described as the “vanguard
Mennonites and gender Read More »
Confession: Sometimes I love being Mennonite. This is not a popular thing to love nowadays, and I confess I don’t love it always. Sometimes I do. Our congregation has been working for some time on hammering out what we call our “covenant”—our statements of faith and practice. This spring we had four issues at hand:
Mennonites and music Read More »