Central Plains Conference - Northern Cheyenne Reservation, MT

Central Plains Annual Meeting 2013

Ashland, Montana
June 20-23, 2013

Guided by the Spirit:  Knowing God's Love
Hosted by Ashland Christian Fellowship, Lame Deer Mennonite Church, and White River Cheyenne

 Mennonite Church

 

 Va’ohtama!  Wellkom!  Welcome!

 

courtesy Rev. Joetta Schlabach

courtesy Rev. Joetta Schlabach

"All over the sky a sacred voice is calling your name."

Black Elk  (note:  Black Elk is Oglala Sioux, not Northern Cheyenne)

courtesy Elliot Tapaha, Wolf Point, MT

"Presenting the Elements"       courtesy Stan Harder

"Our strong view of Scripture calls us to do our best

work in discerning the Scriptures together. Together

as Christ’s body, “We seek to understand and interpret 

Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ as we are

led by the Holy Spirit in the church.” May you be

encouraged to engage the Scripture with God’s people

in meaningful ways as you listen for God’s Word that

guides your ministry and shapes our living. " 

... Tim Detweiler, Across the Fence, Spring 2013

courtesy Stan Harder

courtesy Stan Harder

"Indian Tacos !!!"                courtesy Stan Harder

 Flora Blacktail's Fry Bread

4 cups flour                                 2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons baking powder    4 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon shortening            2 cups warm milk

Consensual Governance

Daughters of Zelophehad, courtesy Wikiimages.com

    I have come to look forward not only to the old favorite Scripture readings in church, but often even more to the more esoteric ones I would otherwise be inclined to skip or gloss over.  Rev. Joetta Schlabach of Faith Mennonite in Minneapolis, Minnesota, delivered one such offering in her examination of the text Numbers 27: 1-11, Those Audacious Daughters of Zelophehad. 

English:  Numbers 27: 1-11 (NIV), courtesy Biblegateway.com

    In summary, as the nation of Israel was preparing to enter the Promised Land, a census had been taken in order to divide up the land amongst the male-headed households.  The daughters of the deceased Zelophehad were to find themselves disinherited from an equal portion of the land due to their father’s death and appealed to Moses that despite being female, they should in fact be allocated the proper portion due to their deceased father who had died faithful to the Lord.

    For our purposes, Schlabach’s sermon also contains three major observations pertinent to traditional Mennonite cultural organization and self-governance (though not necessarily unique only to the Anabaptists).