Volume 6, No. 1

Winter Edition 2010

Pastor's Perspective by Joel M .

This winter and spring there are significant things happening within Cincinnati Mennonite that will help shape congregational life for the coming years. Council recently held a retreat in which we meditated together on our own spiritual journeys and then worked at the next steps in addressing the five year visioning process that was begun last November. Sending out a survey early spring to gauge people's interests and desire to commit to certain areas of the visioning work will be an important next step in this process.
A second area of significant work is the Safe Sanctuary Plan that has been developed and is now working its way through final congregational feedback and approval. There has been a core group doing much good work over the last couple years to flesh out this plan that will help us have a system in place for being pro-active in keeping our congregation a safe and nurturing place for children, giving us tools and processes we need in order to respond well in case of abuse of any kind toward our children. A congregational meeting will be scheduled after the final feedback session occurs on March 14 ^th .
A third area is the work being done by the ad hoc Dialogue and Discernment group. This group has been asked by Council to work out a process by which CMF studies and talks about same-sex orientation. The group anticipates issuing a survey (yes, we love surveys!) to be filled out anonymously that will gauge current attitudes toward same-sex orientation within the congregation. Then in late summer the group is planning to use a combination of small group conversation, study and dialogue sessions, and worship components, in order to help further us explore the issue. The initial focus of this work will be in the area of dialogue and from this we will see if there are particular areas to be discerned as a congregation.
All three of these areas are congregational wide types of processes that will affect how we go about our life together. Each one has potential to help us go deeper in our collective faith journey and clarify our mission. May we listen for the leading of God's Spirit.
Just as we are undergoing these processes as a congregation, our denomination, Mennonite Church USA has significant processes and activity happening. It's a great gift for us to have Ed Diller as the current Moderator of the denomination and as a way of listening in on his work and giving us a better sense of the bigger picture of which we are a part, this newsletter also includes the highlights of a breakfast conversation I had with him recently .

Council's Corner by Beth B.

Church Council's focus this winter has been on readying the congregation for approval of our Safe Sanctuary Plan, the document painstakingly prepared by the ad hoc Safe Sanctuary Committee that addresses our aspirations for protecting our children and youth from sexual abuse in the church setting. Council has approved the document and is in the process of holding discussions with CMF'ers to answer specific questions about the Plan. The first brown bag discussion meeting was February 28 following the worship service, and there will be one more on Sunday March 14, replacing Second Sunday potluck. All who want to learn more about this document, or have specific questions answered, are encouraged to attend.

The Safe Sanctuary Plan is a document that our congregation as a whole will be adopting; it is not a concern of parents alone. All are encouraged to read the Plan, a copy of which was placed in each individual/family's mail folder in February. Additional hard copies of the Plan and the Supporting Documents are next to the mail folders, and files were emailed in February to all with email access. Questions raised February 28 and March 14 will be addressed at the March Council meeting, and we will plan for a congregational meeting shortly thereafter to formally approve the Plan. If you are unable to attend the discussion March 14 and have questions/concerns about the Plan, please address these with a Council member: Beth B . , Rosella C . , Jim M . , Anne H . and William B . .

Council held its annual retreat this past Saturday, February 27 at an ecumenical gathering center in Norwood. Surrounded by a large library of books on all conceivable topics of spirituality and faith, Pastor Joel led Council members in answering questions such as: "What is feeding my soul right now? What is the hunger behind this?" We also listened to, and reflected upon, scripture: Isaiah 55:1-9 where God calls the people of Israel to make an everlasting covenant with Him. We discussed the five year vision document that Pastor Joel shared with the congregation last November, and congregational responses to the visioning discussion that was held at that time. Look for an exciting opportunity for congregational input into future visioning, coming your way in April!

As always, Council appreciates your input, prayers and support as we seek God's guidance for our congregation.

Mennonite Arts Weekend 2010:
Warming the Spirit by Anne H. and Keith L.

A blanket of snow made it hard to see either sacred space or common ground by Friday evening as the attendees began to arrive at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church for the 2010 Mennonite Arts Weekend (February 5-7). As rain turned to snow in Cincinnati, there was news of weather emergencies from northern Ohio to eastern Virginia. Still, the art gallery was well lit, offering the welcoming glow of Juanita Yoder's bright silks and Jayne Holsinger's colorful paintings, Dennis Maust's shimmering ceramics, and Naomi Pridjian's intricate assemblages.

And in the sanctuary, Ken Nafziger warmed us up musically with a few hymns and House of Doc with their original mix of folk and four part gospel, while poet Todd Davis fueled our thoughts for the weekend with his keynote on ``The Art of Place: Sacred Spaces and Common Ground,'' concluding with this prayer:

``… that we might be present to this shining moment in the now, that we will learn to recognize the sacred in all places, that in recognizing the sacred we will be brought into a deeper relationship with the Creator God in whose image we are made.''

After two years of planning, promotion and preparation, it's always a wonderfulalmost astonishingfeeling when the Mennonite Arts Weekend finally moves from seven people meeting around a dining room table to a gathering of 150+ people enjoying live performances and presentations, a film screening and writing workshop, art and singing, worship and fellowship.

There are many different ways to measure out the Weekend. We can do it by registration (202) or by attendance (155); by inches of snowfall (between 3 and 13 across Ohio) or distance traveled (1,174 miles from Winnipeg); by registration packets stuffed (250) or gallery panels assembled (6); by cookies baked (83 dozen) or coffee served (400 cups). But the number of CMFers who volunteer their time to bake the cookies, make the coffee, stuff the packets, work at registration, build the display panels, host overnight guests, move boxes and equipment, climb ladders, set up and take down tables and chairs, pass out and pick up hymnals and songbooks, and so much more? Well, it's a lot. And it's all part of what goes into making the Weekend full of the kind of moments that are beyond measuring.

********************************************************************************************************

``What a wonderful weekend. Amazing people, beautiful art, spectacular singing. We are filled with joy and empty of CDs.''
House of Doc, Sunday, February 7, via Twitter

********************************************************************************************************

Clifton Gorge Hikes by Jean S.

I was first introduced to the Clifton Gorge area years ago when the Sierra Club was regularly doing a fall camping retreat in the area at a 4-H camp close to the town of Clifton. There would be a hike into the Glen Helen Nature preserve to see the raptor center there. I later learned to know the whole area better and found out there were three adjoining parks together with the Glen Helen Nature Preserve which is owned by Antioch University in Yellow Springs. The other two parks are John Bryant State Park and Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. A farmer named John Bryan bequeathed his 500 acre farm to the state back in the 1920's. The state park bearing his name now has 755 acres along the Little Miami River. Another farmer donated some land and the Nature Conservancy bought some land to secure the upper gorge area. In 1973 a 255 acre portion of John Bryan State Park was dedicated as a scientific and interpretive nature preserve and that is Clifton Gorge. That area is an outstanding example of an interglacial and post glacial canyon cutting into the dolomites. There are some spectacular views into the canyon especially when the water flow is frozen and the canyon walls are lined with icicles. The area has a rich variety of habitat which allows for a great diversity of plant life. There have been 347 species of wildflowers and 105 species of trees and shrubs identified within the preserve.
In the early days the attraction of the area was the potential power in the easily dammed stream. There were saw mills established to use the area lumber for building and later on mills were producing power for paper and textile industries. Grist mills were established to grind the grain of area farmers and the Clifton Mill is still in operation. It is the largest water powered grist mill in the US. It also has a restaurant where we often eat when we hike in the area.
About 6 years ago Steve and I felt we knew the area well enough to start leading hikes there and invited other CMFers to come and enjoy the area. If you park in Yellow Springs and start at the 1,000 acre Glen Helen Nature Preserve it is about a 5 mile hike to get to the Clifton Mill and there is plenty of beauty to view along the trail. We have enjoyed the spectacular icy views in the winter and the spectacular spring scenes with the variety of wildflowers. We have been rained on and on one hike many of us slipped and fell but that did not diminish our awe at the ice formations. The biggest group to hike with us was on the hike in April `08 when there was a group of 18. Lily Miller wins the prize of being the youngest hiker and we won't reveal the oldest hiker-all are welcome! Hopefully you can join us sometime to experience this unique area of Ohio. There has been at least one hike a year and we hope to continue.

A Conversation with Ed Diller by Joel M.
I recently sat down with Ed Diller at our favorite spot to get together for breakfast the downtown First Watch. Ed began serving as Moderator-Elect of Mennonite Church USA after the San Jose Convention in 2007 and began work as Moderator after the recent Convention in Columbus. Ed's term ends at the 2011 Pittsburgh Convention where he will lead the business sessions at which delegates from around the country will discuss together the work of the church and make decisions for future trajectories. I was curious to hear not only some of the work that Ed has been doing recently with MC USA, but also Ed's perspective on how that work is going and some of his insights from nearly three years of being at the center of denominational life.
One of the recent transitions has been Ervin Stutzman's appointment as the new Executive Director of MC USA, the position previously held by Ron Byler and before him, Jim Schrag. This is the staff position charged with overseeing the life and mission of the denomination, analogous to being the pastor of MC USA. Ed and Ervin have weekly phone conversations every Monday morning to check in with each other about current goings on of the church. Ed spoke of appreciation for the gifts Ervin brings to the church and mentioned that he is an extremely organized and disciplined person. As a side note, Ervin will be the keynote speaker at the Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly which meets in Archbold, Ohio March 12-13 ^th .
Ed named a number of things that denominational leadership is working with right now. Front and center is missional church work. This is both a mindset and theology that leadership has been developing over the last number of years as well as a set of actions being taken to become more missional. Ed describes missional church thinking as recognizing that God is active in all parts of the world and it is the church's role to join with God in that work, wherever it may be. This is different than the mindset that sees the church as a separate entity from the world. One way of saying this is that, ``it's not the church that has a mission, it's the mission that has a church,'' which elevates the large scope of God's mission of which we can be a part. This permeates all of the work of denominational leadership and includes church planting initiatives as well as listening to the voices of congregations actively engaged in this work, including many non-white and immigrant congregations. Other areas of focus include the recent Yutzy Report, following up with delegate resolutions from Columbus including human trafficking and growing together as communities even in conflict, the capital campaign for the headquarters building in Elkhart, MCC restructuring, and the role of conferences
in the denominational structure. Ed mentioned that his excitement lies in those areas that help get the church out in the world, helping us grow as we shape and influence lives.
I was curious to hear how Ed's perspective has changed as a result of this work over the last three years. He mentioned that in his position one gets a chance to see the full breadth of the church from a congregation in rural Texas to one in a traditional Mennonite hub like Harrisonburg or Goshen, to an urban setting like Philadelphia or Chicago. The engagement across this spectrum has helped him gain an appreciation for the vitality of Mennonite congregations across the country. He also mentioned that he has been able to observe some of the dynamics that affect the things that tend to bring us together and the things that tend to separate us. One important shift in thinking for all of us, he feels, is to not think of ourselves primarily as being defined by what we're against such as infant baptism, or war but what we are for peacemaking, service, reconciliation, being Jesus centered. He also mentioned that missional theology has been an important learning area for him and that although he doesn't consider himself much of a theologian he thinks he's starting to get it!
At the 2011 Pittsburgh Convention Ed anticipates that the Vision: Healing and Hope statement, as well as a missional church focus, will be at the center of all the work. Part of this will be working at making less of a separation between the worship and business sessions, emphasizing that our work and our worship are one. There will also be a day led by members of non-white, racial/ethnic, immigrant congregations, which will expand experiences of worship and teaching.
Because Ed is quite familiar with both CMF and MC USA and I asked him what significant contributions he saw a congregation like CMF making to the wider mission of the church. He mentioned the energy and skills of a congregation like ours are vital. Because many of our members have intentionally chosen to be Anabaptist, either having not grown up with that tradition or having made the conscious decision to stick with the tradition in the midst of hundreds of other options, we can speak and act with conviction of what we hold to be dear. Mennonite Arts Weekend, Community Meal, and Ten Thousand Villages are examples of how we are doing this locally.
An interesting closing observation Ed spoke to was the relationship between a grassroots kind of people and the need for good structure. He has a high value for grassroots work and has always considered himself to carry this emphasis, but this denominational work has helped him recognize the value of strong leadership and well designed structure for the denomination. In many instances, the grassroots will be best able to carry out its mission with strong institutions. Ed mentioned that we carry skepticism toward hierarchy and have an anti-institutional bent, but if we are to do bigger things collectively structures will be important. Living in the tension of the grassroots and the structure has been a significant part of Ed's work. Ed named the chance he has had to do this leadership work a ``marvelous opportunity.''
The conversation was good, as was the omelet and tall orange juice. We're grateful for the skill and passion that Ed puts into his work and ask God's blessing as he continues to serve.

 

City Gospel Mission, A Personal Perspective by Charlie P.
Our "dessert mission" at City Gospel began a number of years ago. For a while my family was just involved as bakers--preparing the yummy desserts that Beth B . would then take down for Wednesday night dinner served to 100-some folks from the streets. When Emma expressed the desire to help, Beth offered to pick her up at church along with the cakes. Anyway, after picking Emma up at City Gospel after dinner for a number of months, I got interested in helping serve the dessert.
When we arrive about 6:00, the first thing we do is help carry in the desserts .Then we cut the cakes into 15 pieces for a total of 120, placing them on the tables in the dining area. It is usually set up for about 100 people. Tony from Tryed Stone Church has cooked a meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans or something just as substantial. A group from Maineville arrives with Hawaiian Punch to serve with the meal. For about an hour we set up. During that time, the dinner guests are upstairs for Bible study or a sermon.
The nights we serve, everyone at City Gospel seems really appreciative of the hot meal and great dessert. As we take plates to them at their table, some of them offer to help. A few talk and ask us questions. Others are reserved and quiet. Some nights there are 15-20 women among the group of mostly men.
The diners clear their own places and several have the job of helping wash dishes. Our group is free to gather up our pans and belongings and leave by about 8:00. One evening after supper a man came up and pulled a sheet of paper and pencil out of his backpack. In 5-10 minutes, he had made a pencil portrait of Emma. He signed it and gave it to her. You never know what the guests will share with you!

Cream together:
         ½ c. butter or margarine
         ½ c. oil
         1 ¾ c. sugar

Add:
         1 tsp. vanilla
         2 eggs
         ½ c. buttermilk

Combine and add:
         ¼ c. cocoa
         1 tsp. baking powder
         1 tsp. baking soda
         ½ tsp. salt
         ½ tsp. cinnamon
         ½ tsp cloves
         2 ½ c. flour

Stir in:
         2 c. shredded zucchini

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle over top:
         ½ c. chocolate chips
         ½ c. chopped nuts (or skip the nuts and use 1 c. chocolate chips)

Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

(A favorite recipe at the mission and Second Sunday Potluck.)

Our Youth by Rachel S.

Hi All,
The youth group is up and running again this year and with some new additions. Greg K. and Neil W. have joined in as youth sponsors. So far they have been a great addition to our group. This winter we all enjoyed our Christmas tree that had handmade decorations from the youth. In January one of our youth sponsors unveiled a hidden talent of semi-professional ice skater at Fountain Square with the youth. You all know him as Greg K.... we have come to know him as Brian "bagels" Biotano. Check out the photos of our teens joining Greg at Fountain Square. In February many of you got a free Valentine's day date as the youth babysat CMF kids for Valentine's day weekend, an activity some suggest should happen each quarter. As spring approaches I am sure we will have many more memories together. We are always looking for families willing to have the youth in for a home night or people in the congregation that have a skill or experience they want to share with our kids. If you have one or both please let me, Greg or Neil know.

If you have an idea for a future article, would like to submit a poem to the new poetry corner, or would like to be a newsletter correspondent; please contact Violet at the CMF office. We're always looking for good stuff and good help!

May God's Peace be with You.