This Month's Issue
Only selected articles from the current issue of Christian Leader are available as PDFs on the web site. To request a print version of the magazine e-mail editor@usmb.org.

In the current issue: New Life We believe that Christians experience new life in Christ today and for eternity. When Christ Jesus was resurrected, death was defeated. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” asks Paul in I Corinthians 15:55. New life in Christ means that we don’t need to be afraid of death. When we die we will join our Savior in heaven and one day be given new bodies. But if I’m honest about it, I don’t want to die. I don’t look forward to the process of dying, should my own death not be sudden. While the Bible assures me that Christ Jesus is preparing a wonderful place for us, heaven and everlasting life are things my human mind can’t completely grasp. So it is good for me to read what our feature writers this month have to say about death, dying and heaven. These authors remind me that change—even the good kind—often brings fears and questions. I hope these articles will encourage you, as they have me, to anticipate our eternal future with hope and joy.—Connie Faber, editor
Life, death and truth By Steve Bomar His newborn son lies hidden by a tangle of wires, respirator tubes and almost a dozen intravenous lines, struggling to breathe. This is the story of a time when a young father’s certainty in God is challenged and when he discovers that he does not possess God’s truth. The truth possesses him. Click here to read in PDF format. The best is yet to come By Gaylord Goertzen Our earthly bodies may be temporary, but we love them. As old and worn-out as our earthly “tent” becomes, we want to patch it, mend it and repair it so that we can keep living in it. Hardly any of us are ever ready to give up our bodies—they are all we know. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul challenges us to look forward to God’s plan for our new bodies. Click here to read in PDF format. Marvin’s inquiring mind His body weakened by chemotherapy, CL columnist Marvin Hein found that his mind was as busy as ever. In three essays, Marvin wonders about his future—the process of dieing, the value of “setting your house in order,” and how he’ll find his friends in heaven. Marvin died Jan. 5, 2008, at the age of 83. Click here to read in PDF format. “We’ll laugh again” By Nadine Friesen How can adults help children cope with their grief following the death of a parent, sibling or anyone close to them? Based on her personal and professional experience, former Mennonite Brethren pastor and current hospice chaplain Nadine Friesen offers her observations and suggestions. Click here to read in PDF format.