Ponder Anew

Vernon

March 11, 2025

Good afternoon,

I met Vernon Schroeder today. From 1987-1991, I served as pastor at Bethel Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a small church with many former Russia refugees, and volunteers working at the head offices of MCC in Akron, PA. It was my first pastorate where I made many mistakes, and learned many things that have helped me since then. I did my first funeral, first wedding and first child dedication at this congregation. The church closed about ten years after I left, and it is now part of a different denomination.

Vernon is 97 years old, and has a sharp mind. His wife died two years ago after a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Vernon had a heart attack in late 1989, and he read my recent article in the Rejoice! magazine, where I talked about my own heart attack. As we visited today he recounted the event around his heart. He had the balloon procedure that attempted to open up his arteries, and the eventual stents that the surgeon inserted into his arteries. It was the first time that I provided pastoral care in the ICU and heart unit. I felt so inadequate, as I walked into the room where Vernon was hooked up to all kinds of machines and IVs. He survived and thrived, and I survived and thrived as a pastor.Vernon had the same smile that I remembered from 34 years ago. We thanked God for the life God has given to each of us. We talked about our children, and talked about faith. We did not talk about Trump, Trudeau or Carney. There are many people that I have met that have mentored me in the right direction. Vernon is a humble, faithful and positive guy that is one of the many of these people who have been influencers in my life.

Gaza is out of the news, but continue to lift prayers to God for peace to come, and the guns can be silenced. AMEN.

.Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

Anabaptist Tuesday

March 4, 2025

Good afternoon,( Anabaptist Tuesday )

The Amish church began with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian Mennonite Anabaptists in 1693 led by Jakob Ammann. Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish. The issue was over the ban or ex-communication. Ammann wanted to not allow people to take communion and not have meals together when they had sinned, while the main group wanted to allow the excommunicated members to have meals together but not communion. When people refer to the Amish today, they normally refer to the Old Order Amish, though there are other subgroups of Amish. There are differences today with buggies, beards, bonnets, buttons, phones, and skid steers. They break apart over issues of obedience and not thology… from the Wikipedia files

The breaking up of various groups of Amish and Mennonites is part of our Christian tradition. We have always thought that we were right, on the issues that we could not agree on. In Floradale, at the north end of town, we had seven different Mennonite congregations represented , and two other houses where the people left to go to other denominations. We were civil to one another, but we couldn’t celebrate the Lord’s supper together.

This history of separating comes from our beginnings. Some believed in ‘ sola scriptura ‘ only Scripture. The group interpreted the literal meaning of the various passages from the Bible. While others saw the Spirit behind the text. This was more important than the actual letter of the Law or Bible. You can see where the different groups could, and did, run into problems. Since most of these people, both men and women, were strong leaders, they tended not to give into the other’s point of view. Therefore, today we have hundreds of different Mennonite groups. Mostly we all believe in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but is it our obedience to other rules, not biblical , that brings us into disagreement.
Mennonite World Conference has tried to bring the various groups together, but there are still issues that they cannot even bring up for discussion . They have seven core beliefs that they agree upon, but it does not solve all the issues of faith and life. In his life, death and resurrection Jesus tried to bring everything and everybody into the right relationship with each other. We must continue to try to repair the damage among Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites as we live into the Kingdom of God. AMEN
Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ?

MPL 2025

What happened?

March 3, 2025

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said yesterday,

” that America’s “rapidly changing” foreign policy “largely coincides with our vision.”

I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks ago that I received the message that we were supposed to hate the Russians in the 1960s and 1970s. I grew up in the vicinity of two large power plants , one in Canada and one in the US, and there was fear that if bombs were going to drop we might be the targets. My mom and dad came out of Russia/Ukraine in the 1920’s and had endured suffering as little children. My dad held on to that kind of hate for the Russians, I think, for his entire life. One of my kids has said that I am always in fear of the Soviets coming to get us. He might be right.

Now, I read that the Russians are in line with the US. What happened ? Now I might have to live in fear of the United States, and Russia. I try to not live with a ‘them and us’ mentality, but it is ingrained in me from 1968, and the Czech revolution. It was put down by the Soviets. Love is supposed to cast out all fear. I am learning, and working at it, but it does not come easy. Fear moves through trauma and through generations. I think I received some of it from my mom and dad.

The church is not helpful. The evangelical church in the US is lining up beside the present government. The largest church in Russia is the Orthodox, and they are praying for the President of Russia to defeat Ukraine. Paul the apostle talks about the ‘ principalities and powers ‘:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the powers of this dark world

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

This struggle can be part of our Lent journey . We can change our prayer life, by focusing on the world and its struggles. Be silent before God, and see what the Spirit says to you and us. What is our vision to wage peaceful action against the powers of this world ?

When The Spirit Walks in the Room from Bruce Cockburn ( 2023 )

It can appear at any hour
When it comes, it comes in power
You may not walk, you may not see
But you’ll become what you can be

You’re a thread upon the loom
When the spirit walks in the room
We’re but threads upon the loom
When the spirit walks in the room

AMEN.

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

Fear of LENT

February 26, 2025

Good afternoon.

Lent begins in a week. In the tradition, it is time to repent of our sins and failings. We invite God to forgive it all with God’s grace. I think it is all about letting go of our fears. It is not the fear of the Lord or reverence for God. That is a good thing that invites the worship of the grace of God. It is the other fear that we all experience at different levels that we will find in Lent.

We fear the future in many different ways. There are different tiers of fear. Some fear does not allow us to function in our lives. Most fear is somewhat irrational. And fear usually does not change things well. Action is better. Guilt or shame are also places that do not lead to good decisions or results. We fear war, climate change , our health or our age or the economy. We have the ability to act on all of these things in some way. But sometimes fear takes over, and we are lost.

Jesus says in John 14:1, ” Do not let your hearts be troubled . You believe in God “. This is part of the Last Supper. My mind goes to ‘ what am I not supposed to be troubled about ? ‘. Jesus’ words bring a level of fear. Some of the things that bring fear into my thoughts and prayers, I know where they come from in earlier experiences in my life. I cannot seem to tamp or stomp them down. They began a long time ago.

I have brought them to God during Lent, to release me from them. But as I name the fear, they seem to arrive with fury. I am invited to lay them at the foot of the cross, or in the wilderness of the desert. Some have told me that the fear might be a gift to keep me on the straight and narrow road of faith. Maybe. ‘ Believe in God ‘ despite my fears. This will be with me beginning on Ash Wednesday next week.

God of the 40 days of Lent, I will offer my fears to you, so I may experience your love and grace, in explosive ways, Calm me, and bring your peace to my heart, soul and mind. AMEN

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

BONHOEFFER

February 20, 2025

Good afternoon

( I am taking an on-line class on Dietrich Bonhoeffer from CMU )

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian and church person. He grew up in upper class society, and was destined to continue with such a life. He received his Ph.D at the early age of 21, and was going to be a teacher. He went to the United States in the early 1930’s and his views were radically changed by reading the Sermon on the Mount, and attending an African-American Church in Harlem, NYC. He says he became a believer. Our life as believers, as he discovered, was not to be effective, but to be faithful. He became a pacifist at this point.

He was part of the Confessing Church after Hitler came to power. He spoke truth to power. Most of the German church followed Hitler and became part of Nazi propaganda. The Confessing Church refused to back down, and Bonhoeffer became the face of this movement. His family wanted him to leave Germany because it was too dangerous for him. He went to New York in 1939, but almost immediately got on another ship, and returned to Germany.

He was arrested in 1943 on charges of conspiracy, in attempting to kill Hitler. He was executed on April 9, 1945 right before the end of the war. It seems everyone takes something out of Bonhoeffer’s life and theology, and uses it for their purposes. Eric Mataxas is a right-wing church person in the United States, and has written a biography on Bonhoeffer that seems to use the theologian’s writings and life, to defend the church’s defense of Mr. Trump. Three Mennonite scholars just finished a book that states that Bonhoeffer was not part of any plot to kill Hitler. Would any of us be justified in helping to kill Hitler. A Mennonite problem, for those who are committed to pacifism ?

Steve Martin, a Catholic poet/musician from Kitchener wrote a poem on Bonhoeffer. Below is part of it:

So Bonhoeffer with mind and heart

Along with kindred souls

Devise a plan to stanch the threat

with cunning and with moles

They thought that ending such a plague

Was aiding in God’s will

Even if it meant a murder bold

A despot’s blood to spill

His faith on action built to last

The Bible anchor sure

His writing showed no tolerance

For those might demur

His life and work for justice was

a template hard and clear

To follow in his dogged steps

Meant facing down dread fear…

Steve Martin April 2019

Lord of heaven and earth, help us to be faithful to our call to peace… AMEN

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

SCHLEITHEIM

Anabaptist Tuesday

The Schleitheim Articles

1) Adult baptism.

2) The Ban – excommunication for sinners.

3) Communion was a remembrance of the Last Supper. No mystery.

4) Separation from the world, the church was holy and the world was evil.

5) Ministers must live ethical lives.

6) Non-violence and pacifism.

7) No swearing of oaths.

One of the early leaders of the Swiss Anabaptist movement was Michael Sattler. He was a Catholic priest who came to read the Bible, and he left the Roman church. He was the main writer of the above articles. The Swiss Brethren ( as they were called ) met in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and agreed on the document on February 24, 1527. Every one of these articles brought the community at odds with the state and the church. For example, in saying that the Lord’s Supper was an act of remembrance, the group was saying that the bread and cup did not literally turn into the body and blood of Jesus during the Mass. In article six, they said they would not fight for the King or the state. Baptism of babies was for tax purposes, and when the Anabaptists did not baptize their babies it was an act of treason.

In the celebration of 500 years of Anabaptism, we are trying to define if we are still Anabaptist . Does it mean the same thing as what it meant for the people of the 1520’s ? There was disagreement among the various Anabaptist groups, just like today. Some Anabaptist groups today continue to practice the ‘ban’. Some keep away from the ‘world ‘, while others see their ministry within the ‘world ‘. Is baptism the core belief that makes us Anabaptist ? Young adults are delaying the decision of baptism because rituals, such as baptism do not hold the same meaning or value as they did before. And what role does the Sermon on The Mount ( Matthew 5-7 ) play in our daily lives ?

Michael Sattler died for the faith he expressed at Schleitheim. He was arrested in May 1527, and put on trial for most of the seven articles. He was found guilty and was brutally tortured, and eventually burned at the stake. His wife was also killed and a few other Anabaptists in the area. The authorities really feared that these beliefs were a real danger to church and society. It is a miracle that people continued to take these new beliefs, and live them out.
( There is a movie on Sattler’s life called the “Radicals ” )

In the love of Christ, and in memory of those who held to their faith.

Fred Redekop

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

Mr. Trump

Good afternoon,

Politics. Faith.

I have tried to not watch the news with President Trump. But, sometimes I cannot help myself. He sucks the life of everyone else in the room. I think it is by design that he speaks outrageous, rude and untrue words. In Bob Woodward’s book Fear , Mr. Trump says he has never done anything wrong, so he doesn’t have to ask for forgiveness. He feels he is perfect, so he can do anything. His followers and advocates will say he doesn’t really mean it. Much of the bizarre things he says are for effect. What effect ? What is his endgame ?

The fact that I am writing about him, means that he has brought me into his political orbit, and I have been hooked. After all, I have no power to change any of his behaviour. He takes up my time, and some of my emotional energy. When this happens, then I have been defeated and lost out again. His lies and rudeness sticks to me, and I seemingly cannot get it off. Everyday seems worse than yesterday, and what will tomorrow bring ?

I am a person of the Christian faith. This is what I have to offer. It is a dilemma for me because 90% evangelical Christians in the United States voted for him. What does my faith say to their faith ? It is me against them, and this is a bad thing. Mr. Trump has shut down USAID, an agency of the US government that was funding projects to help people out of poverty and restore them to good health. There has been little negative reaction by the church in the United States. I thought helping the poor was fundamental to the Christian faith ?

” To overcome or even slow the momentum of the forces arrayed against us will require our resolve, and an ecosystem of resistance – litigation, activism, organizing, direct action, communications, political pressure, and our voices raised to speak truth to power. We may not be able to score a knock-out punch, but we can score a series of technical knockouts against our opponents to reduce the intensity of their efforts. This will take all of us, committing to do what we can.” —— from Kristin Du Mez “Connections “

Du Mez is working on getting people to go to their politicians at their offices. She is a professor of history and is a US Christian. She expresses that this is a dangerous time for her and her country. She wants people to go at the same time later here in February to the offices. We will pray for her.

Lord have mercy on Your world. AMEN

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

PRAYERS

Why did you, O God, allow Psalm 88 to be accepted into the devotional book of 150 songs and prayers.( read it if you have time )

88: 4 ” I am considered as one of those plummeting into the pit

I am like those beyond help

88: 8 ” You’ve made my friends distant.

You’ve made me disgusting to them. “

88:14 ” Why do you reject my very being , Lord ?

Why do you hide your face from me ? “

88: 18 ” You’ve made my loved ones and companions distant.

My only friend is darkness. “

God of earth and heaven

of creation, redemption and sustenance,

Sometimes, and maybe especially today.

We feel like the writer of this Psalm.

The writer accuses You, the Divine Master

of not caring and not loving,

and not healing the pain.

Normally,

the Psalmist and You get into

right relationship,

by the end of the Psalm,

but not here.

Why ??

I will leave it there God and read Psalm 88,

for cancer

for Gaza,

for politics

for hotter temperatures

for poverty and greed.

LORD HAVE MERCY ON US ALL. So be it. AMEN

Photo of Psalm 88

Fred Redekop

EPIPHANY 2025

February 13, 2025

Good afternoon.

Western Christians celebrate Epiphany when Jesus is presented to the Gentiles in the visit of the Wise People. Eastern Christians or the Orthodox believers celebrate Epiphany as the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Some others celebrate it with the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding at Cana. We probably argue about this holy day. Mennonites do not really celebrate the season of Epiphany ( this Sunday will be the sixth Sunday of Epiphany ). Historians believe that the Church has has in its calendar since 200 AD.
Epiphany in the dictionary means ” a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization. ” outside of the Christian tradition. There is a clothing store in Elora called Epiphany. I do not think I would have a epiphany moment if I went shopping there. But, maybe for you it might be such a moment of revelation. You just never know where God might show up in our world. God is everywhere and nowhere ? God is hard to pin down, sometimes. We do not see God, but we have faith that God is working.
Can you name a moment of Epiphany that you have experienced in God or the sacred ? In my home church, a Mennonite minister came from Russia on a Sunday morning. This was before the Soviet Union fell apart in 1989. He was a very large man, with a black suit and spoke both German and Russian. Our minister, David Neufeld, introduced him, and said that he would sing before he preached. It was a epiphany for me. It was the deepest bass voice I had ever heard . He did not need a piano to hit the notes. I remember that I almost began to laugh because it was so amazing. Another moment of sudden revelation was in hearing the stories of Cambodians. They had endured great suffering including genocide by its own people. My reaction was that I must do something, so we were obligated to tell their story. They had no more tears to tell it themselves. God was there in the suffering.
Where have you met Jesus/God in the most profound and sudden way ? A song A person A Scripture A thunderstorm A bird, a fruit or a vegetable.Praying for a Epiphany moment in the peacemaking in Gaza. AMEN

Epiphany moment last Sunday.

Fred

February 12, 2025

Good afternoon,

” The claim of the mystic is, at last, that you don’t need anything to bring you to God. You don’t need a mediator. You don’t need an institution. You don’t need a ceremony or a ritual. God is in me, and the ladder from the earth to sky is available. So, I can ascend my own altar stairs wherever I am, under any circumstances, and the key to the understanding of the experience, and to the experience itself, is never in the hands of any other human being . ”

Howard Thurman, mystic theologian

The Reformation taught us that we could go to God with only ourselves . Our presence with the divine did not need a priest as a mediator. This is one of the items that proved to separate the Catholics from the Protestants in the 1500’s. Do you believe that you can meet God alone ? You don’t need your pastor or teacher or mystic theologian ? I agree with this. We can meet the Divine in nature, in the snow, with the trees and birds singing. You can read the Bible, and God can speak to you through the letters, the sentences and paragraphs. But, we need the community as well.

Yet, sometimes I hear that ” I do not know how to pray to God “. Just go and ‘ be ‘. You do not need words or anything else. When Jesus went off to pray at various times while here on this earth, we do know what he said. Maybe, he just needed time away in silence. But, if you need words, then use words. Maybe you want to sing to God. You do not need to be on key.

Prayers

God : of the Book, creation and each other,

small words are fine

to offer to you.

Bigger words are not better,

just different,

You , O God,

invite us into your divine, holy and sacred presence.

Come quickly . AMEN

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025

Mike Strathdee		Wed, Feb 12, 1:50 PM (18 hours ago)
Mike Strathdee reacted to your message: From: Fred Redekop <fred.redekop@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 6:42:10 PM To: Fred Redekop <fred.redekop

Wanda Hagen		Wed, Feb 12, 8:20 PM (12 hours ago)
Love your poetry Fred.

Fred Redekop <fred.redekop@gmail.com>	7:46 AM (50 minutes ago)
to Wanda