Comments on: Personal Faith Journey - Jenny

by: Margo Maust Jantzi

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:33:36 +0000

Happy Birthday Jenny on March 4th. May you continue to find special ways to celebrate this new year of life.

I enjoyed chatting with you at the Taste of Thai Restaurant on Thurs. eve. Best wishes as you share your talents and wisdom in the classroom.

Warmly,
Margo Maust Jantzi

by: Angeline

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 21:40:09 +0000

Hey Jenny,

I really appreciate your words on the evolution of your faith journey. The issue you bring up is one of the toughest issues in life, I think: an honest acceptance of different faiths while maintaining strength in your own faith….without secretly thinking that “mine is better than yours”.

I could really relate when you said:

“….Mennonites at the top of a totem pole and seeing all other denominations as too extreme, conservative, liberal, etc. An exciting piece of this project (bike movement) for me has been to reevaluate these ideas and begin to connect all of my denominational experiences into one larger faith.”

I have had a similar experience with the Baha’i faith, struggling to be proud of my faith, but not “prouder” than I am of other faiths. As humans, as spiritual beings, we should always see each other as one large community, and encourage each other in our spiritual growth and development. To do that, I think we must recognize that different people have different needs, different paths, and different methods of expression. There will be tough conflicts, but if we work through them in a spirit of love and compassion, I think we can find peaceful solutions. Thanks for sharing your insights! Keep biking! (I hope I can join you guys later in August.)

by: Janet Buschert

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 03:22:33 +0000

Greetings Jenny, from back in Boise, Idaho.

Thank you so much for your journal entry. What a terrific, if brief, telling of some of the parts of your history and how they’ve impacted your faith walk. Keep walking, keep riding, keep cool.

Not a day goes by when we go without thinking of you all and your brief stop here in Boise, and not a day goes by without another idea to try to lift up and rotate those pedals (”did we mention to try to keep the foot flat in the pedal stroke, even if it almost feels like you’re scraping mud off the back of your shoe?”, “should we have suggested another yoga position or two, to counteract the forward shoulder positions on the bike?”). But we know that God takes care, and he’s taking care of you.

Blessings to all of you.

by: Erin Odgers

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:12:26 +0000

Jenny,
I didn’t realize that there was only one person on the trip that did not grow up in a Mennonite church. I too have had the experience of growing up in other denominations and later finding myself at a Mennonite church after graduating from Messiah College 2 years ago (where I was first introduced to Mennonite/Anabaptist theology). I’m sure you bring a unique perspective to the group with your varied backgroud. I will be interested to hear more about your thoughts and experiences in relation to the mission of the trip.
And to the whole bike crew, I look forward to riding with you all from Salford to Philly. I enjoy reading your journal entries and hear about your conversations with the churches you visit. As a young adult asking similiar questions, it is refreshing to know that there are others who have questions about the church, how it fits into a post-modern world, and what our part is in it all. Take Care, Erin

by: Tim Rice

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:24:57 +0000

Jenny and everyone participating in this venture, thanks for your sharing both of your personal lives and experiences. It is an encouragement to me. Keep it up. And I’m looking forward to meeting you all at Salford Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania on August 23. In the meantime, I’ll keep praying for you all and the goals that you are working at and participate vicariously via your journal entries. Thanks!