MWR : The World Together blog

Fat Tuesday and Skinny Wednesday

Shane Claiborne

“What’s the difference between a flute and a stick in the mud?” our priest asked on Sunday. He then went on, “The stick in the mud is full of itself. The flute has been emptied of itself so it can make music.” That’s a good image for Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

Five lessons from the age-old school of experience

Harvey Yoder

Maybe I just wasn’t listening, but in spite of all my many good teachers, much of my education for life has come the hard way. Here are some lessons I’m still learning in the age-old school of experience:

Lenten Prayer for Feb. 26

Isaac S. Villegas

Lord God, today is the first Sunday of Lent, a season of repentance, of self-examination, of silence and waiting for the leading of your Holy Spirit. Through your Spirit you lead us into the temptations of Jesus, 40 days in the wilderness, where our lives are laid bare, and we come face to face with our desires for power — power over our lives and the lives of our friends and enemies and maybe even power over you.

Lent: Rather than giving something up, pick something up instead

Marty Troyer

Esther, Mary, Jesus, Michael Sattler, Dorothy Day and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are not unique because they answered the call. They are household names because of the context within which they said, “Where do I sign?” Their “yes” was spoken into the darkness of opposition, oppression and hatred. They are a voice crying out from the wilderness, the margins, outside dominant culture and accepted norms. This is no easily whispered “yes.” For saying “yes” from the minority fringe is very different than saying “yes” from the safe confines of dominant culture.

Like religious freedom? Wear ashes on Wednesday!

Morgan Guyton

There’s been a lot of talk about religious freedom over the past few weeks. Whatever side of the story you believe, Christianity has taken a hit both from people who oppose it and people who exploit it. I want to propose something that those of us who love Jesus can do to represent Him in a way that will assert our religious freedom without oppressing other people.

Struggling with doubt, death and God’s Story

Carmen Andres

The Walking Dead returned recently, and “Nebraska” places us in the aftermath of the zombie massacre at the barn, where farm-owner Hershel had been keeping family members who had become zombies in hopes of finding a way to cure them. Hershel’s worldview has been toppled, and Rick struggles to put things back together so his people (including his son and pregnant wife) can continue to stay at the farm, a haven from the zombie apocalypse on its borders. The episode continues this season’s front burner themes of death and hope — and once again brings God-talk into these open spaces.

Lent reflection from MCC, Feb. 26

Monica Scheifele

Revised Common Lectionary Readings: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15

Palestinians under attack in Hebron

Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine Project

A newly released report submitted to the United Nations by international organizations working in Al-Khalil (Hebron) in the West Bank, documents a sharp increase in serious human rights violations against Palestinian civilians, particularly youth and children, living in the Old City and Tel Rumeida.

A modern-day exorcism of Wall Street

Shane Claiborne

There was an occasion in the 1960s where a bunch of hippies surrounded the Pentagon and tried to exorcise the demons. It didn’t work. Despite their valiant effort, not much happened that day.

Video: Wild Goose 2012

Gareth Higgins

Over the past few months, the Wild Goose team and the staff at The Work of the People have been poring over video footage to create a highlight video from our debut year in 2011. While it’s impossible to represent all the spirit and personality of a live event on film, we think the clip below captures a small taste of what it’s like to be a part of Wild Goose.