Letters

This section is a forum for discussion and discemment. Letters exprass ths opinion of the writer only, not necessarily tho position of Canadian Mennonite, ths five area churches or Mennonite Church Canada. Letters should address issues rather than criticizing individuals and include contact Information. We will send copies of letters referring to other parties to them to provide an opportunity to respond in a future issue if their views have not already been printed in an earlier letter. Please send letters to be considered for publication to letters@canadianmennonite.org or to Canadian Mennonite, 490 Dutton Drive, Unit C5, Waterloo, ON, N2L 6H7, "Attn: Letter to the Editor." Letters may be edited for length, style andadherence to editorial guidelines.

Botter to cope with climate change than try to reverse it

I was interested to see yet another editorial on the seriousness of climate change in the Feb. 5 issue ("Hurting the least of these," page 2).

Despite our protestations, I have not noticed any reaction from my Mennonite friends who continue to drive their SUVs and oversized trucks just as they always have, visiting relatives distributed far and wide all over western Canada with the same regularity.

Please do not dismiss me as one who does not believe that there have been some very unusual changes in climate in recent years, but I do have considerable doubts about the increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere being the principal factor in these changes. Climate is just not that simple.

There is really no experimental evidence that can be repeated by different scientists that would confirm the overarching effects of carbon dioxide repeatedly trumpeted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and that, after all, is the standard litmus test expected of most scientific research.

Personally, I believe that we would be much better advised to develop ways to best cope with the climate changes that are happening rather than devoting a large portion of our efforts to trying to reverse the trend.

No thinking Canadian would support carbon taxes because, like other governments before them, this one would take the taxes and put the money into the general revenue.

As for more expensive and "efficient" technologies, it takes more ethanol by weight than regular gas to produce the same amount of energy and just as much carbon dioxide is produced. And there have been recent food riots in Mexico because the poor are finding their largely corn-based food staples are rising in price which, they believe, is the result of increased ethanol production north of the border.

And it requires more energy to produce hydrogen fuel cells than the energy that can be obtained from the cells, even at 100 percent efficiency.

And as for "placing limits on how much fossil fuel a person could use in a year," we do not need "energy police" in Canada. I don't want to live in a fascist dictatorship, thank you.

-Clyde Ovens, Calgary, Atta.

Worship conference coverage 'refreshing'

Thank you for the coverage of the Refreshing Winds worship conference at Canadian Mennonite University in the Feb. 19 issue of Canadian Mennonite. As a first-time attendee, the report ("Christian work flows out of Christian worship," page 32), meditative poem ("When our dancing turns to mourning," page 6), and pictures reminded me anew of the positive influence the weekend had on me.

I would like to add a note about Irma Fast Dueck's involvement. Her "Symbol, sign and ritual" workshop was powerful and her work as master of ceremonies for the sessions added much to the spirit of the conference.

Thanks for inspiring reading.

-Peggy Hiebert, Kelowna, B.C.

Vietnamese pastor abusing his freedom

On page 33 of the Feb. 19 issue, there was another story on the continuing saga of the Mennonite Church's conflict in Ho Chi Minh City, District 2 ("Congregation continues to meet after yet another conflict with authorities").

Since we have many non-Christian Vietnamese friends in Vietnam, we have been following this story with interest and despair. Our friends believe that Nguyen Hong Quang is abusing his political and religious freedoms, and is deliberately taunting the authorities.

The Vietnamese press has described Nguyen as a "hooligan" and troublemaker. It ignored the religious context of the conflict and focused on the political and legal issues Nguyen is reported to have violated.

Also, we think it is time that the American author of these stories is identified along with his relationship to the so-called "Vietnamese Ministries" organization. If he objects to being identified, then Canadian Mennonite should not print his stories.

The story contains a repeated call for "the worldwide church to pray for the churches and authorities in Vietnam." We would urge people to pray specifically that Nguyen finds the right balance between assertion/confrontation and negotiation/peacemaking.

-Joanna and Doug Durst, Regina

Seeing Christ in St. Kevin

St. Kevin of Glendalough was a sixth century Irish hermit who lived in a hole more or less in the rock wall of a cliff, emerging in winter to stand for hours stark naked in the icy waters or in the summer to hurl himself-naked again-into poisonous nettle bushes.

He eventually allowed a monastic community to form around him. They were not all able to fit into the hole in the cliff face, which was about a metre wide and high and two metres deep, so St. Kevin agreed reluctantly to move to the shore of the lake, where his disciples built a tiny church for their master-a wonder of Irish engineering that stands to this day-and small huts for themselves that have long since disappeared.

Although they lived singly, they gathered together to chant the Psalms at the appointed monastic hours, which caused them to rise twice each night and walk to the chapel in the cold dark to sing their office.

Soon enough, even the level shore of the lake proved to be inadequate to St. Kevin's community, for people began to come from all over Ireland to sit at the feet of the monks and to learn all they had to teach.

This is of great interest to me because I only lived a short walk from this holy place. To walk in the place of a saint and monks who kept alive the Christian faith is something that sends a shiver up my back. I have climbed the face of that cliff many a time and to think that St. Kevin had stayed in such a gloomy place for so many years had a profound effect on me as young lad growing up.

Can anybody dare tell me that there is no Christ when I have seen things of this nature? Without Christian people of that time, who can tell what kind of a God we might be worshipping today.

-Bill J. Heavener, Cochrane, Ont.

Stories bode well for church's future

I just want to let you know I enjoy and appreciate reading Canadian Mennonite. It seems to become more interesting and helpful as time goes on. "Seniors and the future of the church" by Robert J. Suderman, "Pensive in Egypt" by Barrette Plett, "Berries, 'cold gravy' and generosity" by Mike Strathdee and more in the Feb. 5 issue give hope for the future generations. And DeskTop reading makes for a good start. Thanks to the writers.

-Mary J. Mireau, Saskatoon

High Church worship meaningful for many

Thank you for your fine articles on High Church worship (March 5, pages 4 to 9).

From my observation, the so-called High Church worship phenomenon already has deep roots in the Mennonite community. The only mystery is why it had been left unaddressed in the Mennonite media for so long. Instead, the frequent focus of most worship discussion has been on the more "spontaneous" forms of worship making inroads into the community. Many in our Mennonite communion, however, continue to experience spiritual vitality in the more ritualized forms of worship.

While spontaneity connotes spiritual energy to some, others find deep meaning and spiritual fulfillment in services that are thoroughly planned. Indeed, the planning process itself should be a deeply meaningful spiritual exercise. The Spirit is present in the preparatory writing, praying and, yes, thinking. Similarly, the music is seen as deeply integrated with the Scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers and every other aspect of the service. Words are still the dominant means by which we communicate and express our faith-whether in prayer, hymn, anthem or sermon. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to choose each word carefully and deliberately in order to allow our language to communicate as effectively as possible what it is we wish to say to God and to each other.

Furthermore, the richness of Christian tradition is seen as a valuable asset to the worshipping community. Both words and music draw deeply from these historic spiritual wells. One Mennonite leader, who switched his membership to the Anglican Church, informed me that he did so because in his area of the country the Mennonite churches no longer held to their historic doctrines, while the Anglican congregation in that region was both theologically and liturgically closest to the Saskatchewan Mennonite congregation in which he was raised.

He is not alone. As many seek to abandon the theological heritage of their denomination, others feel they have to leave the Mennonite communion in order to locate their Mennonite theological and liturgical heritage-and to connect their faith with the wider Christian communion. Let us embrace the diversity of worship among us and therein also find Christian unity.

Finally, while I appreciated John Longhurst's review of Vespers at CMU, it should be noted that monthly Vespers were already a regular feature at Canadian Mennonite Bible College when I was a student there from 1976-79, which means they predate even my own experience.

-Edmund Pries, Kitchener, Ont.