Author's
Preface In this volume I reflect on forty-five years as a minister seeking faithfully to preach the good news of peace. A variety of experiences shaped my understanding of what the good news is and what God is all about. My understanding of theology has been shaped by joys in ministry and by disappointments, by making mistakes and by making right choices. My ministry has been shaped by many people who have touched my life. It has been shaped by drinking deeply from the richness of other cultures. Above all it has been shaped by discovering truth in the Scriptures which throughout my life have been a beacon for me. I should note that although I have tried to learn from the biblical prophets, the subtitle of this book is not mine but was chosen by the publisher. I am especially indebted to my two children, Michael and Lorna. Despite my spending so much time away from home "fixing" the world and the church when I should have been with them, I still sense their love for me. My late wife June, mother of Michael and Lorna, was a special gift to many people. Her love for family and the church, as well as her caring concern for people who were forced by an unjust society to live on the margins, consumed her energy. Her voice for justice for oppressed people and for equal opportunity for women still speaks today. Without her love, compassion, wisdom, and commitment to justice—qualities she shared with me until her death—this book would never have become a reality. My conclusions and responses to some issues that have consumed much of my energy are likely not ones some of my friends can accept. My chapter on homosexuality, for example, is a window into my pain over the fracture it has made in the church, which has caused alienation and fear. I have experienced deep peace in my own soul as I have wrestled with this issue. That peace is a buffer when the arrows from the bows of my critics fly at me. I cannot name all the people who helped me write this book. I will name a few in addition to my children and my late wife June. I am indebted to Michael A. King and Pandora Press U.S./DreamSeeker Books for encouraging me to submit a manuscript. Michael’s editorial gift has been like polish on stained silver. I give credit to a very wise person is St. Louis, Missouri, Macler Shepard, a leader in the community whose wisdom I still seek. Macler’s wisdom was sought by persons from all sectors of society, from President Carter to the homeless on the street. The Bethesda Mennonite Church people in St. Louis accepted me and nurtured me. The many persons who spent some time in St. Louis in voluntary service all contributed to bring clarity as to what the church is all about in the world. Cecil and Judy Miller, whose spirit lingered in St. Louis after they moved away, continue to share their caring concerns and wisdom with the community. I also left a major part of myself in St. Louis. I have recurring dreams of being engaged in some activity with Macler Shepard. During our years in Elkhart, Indiana, it was friends like Dale and Laura Schumm, John and Shirley Powell, Hubert and Helen Brown, Willard and Alice Roth, and members of Southside Fellowship, to name only a few, whose friendship we highly valued. I had occasion during those years to be a guest speaker at many congregations throughout the Mennonite constituency. In every congregation a core of people deeply committed to peace and justice gave me courage to preach the good news of peace. The staff at Board of Congregational Ministries, of which I was a part, helped me to broaden my vision of peacemaking. The team of people who served on the missions committee for the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada became a special gift to me. I felt their support when I attempted to give leadership in developing new congregations with a goal that every congregation become a special gift from God to its community. The leaders of the conference modeled for me what the good news of peace is all about. My close association with Herb Schultz during those days was a rich blessing. We could laugh, cry, and pray together on some of our long trips to visit congregations. I should name many more persons who enriched my life during those years. I would be amiss if I did not give credit to Ralph Lebold, whose wisdom I sought out and respected. The Danforth Mennonite Church in Toronto provided us with a community of friends. Even though we are away from Toronto for more than a decade it still feels like home when we go back to visit. In eastern Pennsylvania the congregations I served as overseer helped me to grow in my understanding of what the gospel is all about. The friendships we formed at Spring Mount Mennonite Church, where I was pastor for five years, remain a special treasure. It is at Plains Mennonite Church, where we are currently members and I served for two years as interim pastor, that we receive day-to-day spiritual nurture and friendship. I did not write much about my present ministry as chaplain at Souderton Mennonite Homes. The staff and residents there continue to teach me about peace and justice. Ministering to and being ministered by people who are in the homestretch of life is another significant window into God’s gracious gift of life. It is from the most unlikely people that my greatest source of encouragement has come. Many times it has come from the people whom society had long rejected and forgotten. For them, and for all our friends scattered across the country, we are thankful. Without the support, encouragement, and love I receive from my wife, Mary Rittenhouse, the joy of ministry would have faded away. Mary’s caring spirit and compassion models what I have tried to preach. Her actions are sermons of love and justice. I often feel tears of joy trickling down my cheek when she sings solos in church. I thank God over and over for the blessing she has been to me. If I were to write this book a year from now, I likely would have to add some new insight I have not had before. My experience of the past rooted the themes of peace and justice deeply into my understanding of the Scriptures and faithfulness in discipleship. Whether now or later, I say with Paul, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14). —Hubert Schwartzentruber Jesus in Back Alleys orders:
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