One of the valuable lessons we can take from both Mennonites and Sámi is that legacies that go on are the ones that are communal in nature. The communities that survive are the ones that dare to remember and, even more surprising, dare to celebrate.

The Bible is many things, but I believe it is primarily a story. That story is not meant to remain firmly entrenched in the past but is instead supposed to provide us with the tools first to imagine ourselves as participating in the great story of God’s redemption, and second to allow us to structure our lives so that we tell the story that God is telling even now.

What a difference a pronoun can make. And yet, it makes no difference in the true meaning of the description of God. God is like a loving parent.

I have to remind myself that God accepts me apart from my ability or success as a parent or as a leader. As family leaders and church leaders, we don’t always measure up to our own principles. But whether you are a church leader or a family leader or both, God’s grace is present.

Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.