Becoming Human
Report to Mennonite Weekly Review, June 2011

A series calle d ``Becoming Human'' was the theme of our worship over the past two months. Matters to grapple with were questions like: What does it mean to become authentically human? What hinders us in that pursuit? What sets one free? Where is God working in our own lives to and in our world to bring humans into wholeness?

Among the aids to help us in this endeavor were quotations from various authors, like :
Walt Whitman: ``To me every hour of th e light and dark is a miracle.''
Mary Oliver: ``Are you breathing just a little and calling it life?''
Henry David Thoreau: ``Under a government that imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a jus t man is also a prison…''

Pastor David Moser had us reflect on passages and or stories from Ephesians 5, 1 John 4, Romans 5, Philippians 2 , and others.

Among the special services recently were child dedication for A dele, daughter of Kendra and David Yoder Lind; Holy Thursday; Communion; Palm Sunday ; and Easter , at which time we decorated the cross with beautiful flowers to symbolize the joy of re surrection. As usual, we had a hymn- sing on the fifth Sunday of the month, May 29 . Featured in this worship were the father and sons musicians of Lloyd Miller on gu itar, and sons Ryan on mandolin and Dustin on the banjo.

Jamie Ross shared a most educational video of efforts in Nigeria to bring peace to a region in turmoil. The efforts there are led by a Muslim and a Christian , both of whom had been victimized by the other's followers. Karen Yoder is again undertaking some teaching and study opportunities in Spain in pursuit of further credentials pertaining to her teaching career.

C ongratulations to: Suzanne Ehst, accepted into a Ph . D . program at Western Michigan University; Karen Weldy , now a c haplain at Riley Children's Hospital, Indianapolis: Jamie Ross, who participate d in a week- long course on Christian-Muslim relations in Nigeria at the Overseas Ministries Study Center in New Haven Conn. , and who will present o n mission, education and ethics in Nigeria in July at Yale University . B.Harry Dyck