Windsock

EMS Hosts Fall Spiritual Renewal Week

Roy Hange, pastor at Charlottesville Mennonite Church, spent four days last week speaking to the EMHS student body on the topic of "building our faith through encounters with other faiths."

Each day, chapel began with several hymns led by Mr. Hartzler. After the student body sang, members of Chapel Planning Committee read scripture. On Tuesday, members of the Drama class acted out a story while it was read aloud from the Bible. On Thursday, students from Class Voice performed a song related to the week's topic. After the introduction, Mr. Hange began speaking. He used several stories of peace-building between people of different religions as a basis for his presentations. Most of his stories featured young people, because Roy believed it would be easier for the students to connect to them. Roy's stories were about transformation. The characters faced their fears, forgave their enemies, and became "ambassadors of reconciliation."

The 8th Annual Kennel-Charles Lecture

 

To vote or not to vote?  That was the question of the day on October 20, 2008 at Eastern Mennonite High School.  John Roth, a history professor at Goshen College and Rachelle Lyndaker-Schlabach, the director of the Washington office of Mennonite Central Committee, (MCC) brought their positions to the table, at a forum that was held during second and third period.  They each presented their opinion to an audience of faculty, students, and visitors.  After both presentations were complete, there was a question and answer session where listeners could inquire about what they had heard.

Rachelle Lyndaker-Schlabach spoke on how and why Christians, specifically Mennonites, should be involved in the government.  Of the three ways she suggested, she began with the least controversial.  Christians are called “to pray for our leaders.” She stated that even with the debate on Mennonites government involvement, almost all Christians and Mennonites will agree that the officials in power need our prayer.   She encourages Mennonites to vote.  Without suggesting a particular candidate, she said to vote based on convictions, beliefs, and who the voter feels will promote positive change.  A third, and probably the most controversial level of government involvement discussed by Lyndaker-Schlabach, was holding a government position. Rachelle used serving on Congress as an example of somewhere Mennonites might be hesitant, but maybe shouldn't be hesitant, to be involved.  She pointed out that the debate is strong; currently, no one in Congress claims to be affiliated with the Mennonite tradition. 

John Roth presented at the forum, and at the annual Kennel-Charles Anabaptist Lecture, an evening program open to the public, why he feels Christians should consider not voting.  During the presidential election campaign in 2004, he noticed that the church had formed divisions - liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans. Dr. Roth said, “Until we [the church] can speak with one voice, maybe we shouldn't vote.”  He suggested then, and still suggests taking a five year “sabbatical” from voting.  Roth pointed out several actions Christians should take in order to be charitable to those with other opinions during election season.  In one action, he reminds Christians to “remember your baptism.” He says this gives a fresh perspective of basic allegiances:  first to Jesus, and being a member of the body of Christ.  Roth feels we need to be rooted in Christ, have our work for change come through the church, and not necessarily the government.  Christians should be holding out the candle of hope – the gospel of Jesus.  “May the healing of the world begin with the hard, joyful work of reconciliation...”

- Malinda Bender 

A Refresher Course on Ramadan

The following was shared in chapel during Spiritual Renewal Week by sophomore Mustafa Abid.

A week ago, there were 1.6 billion people around the world who were fasting from sunrise to sunset.  This fasting lasts for a month, and is called Ramadan.

Ramadan is a month of fasting, meditation, and charity observed by Muslims around the world.  Each day for 30 days from sunrise to sunset Muslims eat and drink nothing.  As Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it moves back 10 days each year.  It takes 30 years for Ramadan to go through an entire year, and this means that you will experience long days in summer and short days in winter.  Children, the sick, the elderly, pregnant or nursing women and those who are traveling are not obligated or expected to fast because of their conditions.

Muslims have an early breakfast before the sun rises and then a dinner after the sun sets.  This is a tradition of Islam that has been followed since the beginning of Islam more than 1400 years ago to commemorate the month during which the Quran, the Muslim holy book, was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammed.  So the month of Ramadan is used to read the Quran from beginning to end, a section each night.  The purpose of this is to bring us closer to the word of God.  Another point of fasting during Ramadan is to help us experience hunger so as to understand how those who are unable to eat every day feel.  Knowing how people in difficult situations feel helps you to extend your compassion to them.  The third point of Ramadan is to deny ourselves worldly pleasures to that we can bring discipline to our lives and so that we can spend more time focusing on God and less time focusing on ourselves and many of the petty things we spend time on in our lives.   It is a way to step out of our lives and spend some time being peaceful and calm, without too many worries, a time to focus on our spiritual life instead of our material life.  Ramadan this year ended with Eid, a big 3 day celebration.  The first morning of Eid there were prayers followed by present giving and a late breakfast (for the first time in 30 days).  It is a really nice conclusion to the month.

Ramadan plays a big role in my life.  Every morning I wake up around 5:40 or so to eat an early breakfast.  I then go to school and don’t eat or drink anything for the entire school day.  During soccer practice I drink some water but I don’t break my fast until the sun goes down around 7:30 at night, at which point I break my fast with dates and water, followed by a proper dinner.  While fasting I am supposed to try and not get angry, be gracious and be forgiving.  This is part of the overall experience; showing patience and kindness even when hungry.  Every Saturday during Ramadan me and my family go to Charlottesville for an iftar (sunset dinner), or potluck, where we break our fast with friends of ours and then spend some time in a discussion together about religious issues, like what Ramadan means to Muslims.  Normally these discussions are lead by a UVA professor of Islamic studies, and his knowledge and open mindedness make the discussions interesting.  It is also really nice to hang out with kids who are going through the same experience that I am so that we can talk about our experiences.

Ramadan is a month of trials, a month of meditation, a month of understanding the lives of those less fortunate than us.  Although sometimes it can be difficult, at the end of the month it feels really good that I have fasted for 30 days, that I have read the Quran in its entirety, and that I have spent a month focusing less on myself and more on God.

  

 

Spiritual Renewal Week: Spiritual Fruits

Spiritual Renewal Week is over.  During the week students were distracted, amused and challenged by this year’s speaker, Jason Gerlach.  He is the youth minister at Community Mennonite Church and the Junior Varsity soccer coach at Eastern Mennonite School. During this year’s Fall Spiritual Renewal Week Mr. Gerlach challenged students and faculty to examine their spiritual disciplines, and keep examining them after the week was over.  Jason Gerlach shared “that who we are becoming matters; it has eternal implications.”

This year’s Fall Spiritual Renewal Week had many unique aspects.  One was a specific theme for each day.  Each day would focus on a different theme which was presented in many different ways.  On Monday we explored scripture reading through drawing and speaking.  Tuesday’s theme provided insight and entertainment with music on the theme of prayer followed by Wednesday’s video on silence/meditation.  Thursday’s chapel provided a different perspective on fasting.  In contrast to the themes of looking inward, Friday’s theme of community/service/hospitality examined a more outward perspective.

Many different people shared throughout the week, in addition to Jason Gerlach.  Curtis Stutzman talked about prayer and Susan Swartz talked about the importance of silence/meditation in her class and life.  Throughout the week Jay Hartzler led the EMS community in music and reflection.  There was also significant student participation this year.  Seniors Helen Furry and Janelle Dean both performed music and sophomore Mustafa Abid shared about fasting.

So, while Fall Spiritual Renewal Week is over the messages can stay with students and faculty into the winter and spring.  Jason Gerlach said, “I hope that students and faculty can take from Spiritual Renewal Week a strong conviction that spiritual disciplines are healthy and grounding practices that have been important for Christians over many years.  In addition, I hope that students and faculty can honestly respond to the statement I shared a number of times throughout the week, that who we are becoming matters; it has eternal implications.”

-Zander Pellegrino