Author Archives: Ruth Harder

One of the many things I loved about living in North Newton, and so close to Bethel College, was the fact that the chimes on campus accompanied me on my walk to church every day, and sometimes on my way … Continue reading →

Every first Wednesday of the month, a group gathers in a circle at the front of the Sanctuary at Rainbow for a simple service of prayer and song, known as Taizé. I was first introduced to Taizé services in seminary, and … Continue reading →

I recently participated in a community-wide Thanksgiving Service in the nearby neighborhood of Argentine. Here is my Thanksgiving reflection in case anyone is interested. Argentine thanksgiving One of the highlights of this service was visiting with members of the Argentine Mennonite … Continue reading →

For the past two months, a small group of Rainbow folks have gathered to sing hymns at Freedom Pointe. This is the current residence for Arlie Regier (pictured here on the far left, together with his wife Sue, next to … Continue reading →

Right above my computer hangs this beautiful, if not confusing, Christian seasons calendar. This calendar isn’t ordered like most calendars. Not only do the twelve days of Christmas get their own page, this calendar ends November 30, since December 1 … Continue reading →

Last Sunday we, at Rainbow, considered the many names for God. On Monday, Steve Goeke sent me this image, along with a note saying that this poster hangs in his shop. “A good reminder,” Steve wrote. Indeed. And a great … Continue reading →

Jesse and I love pizza. In fact, our Friday evening ritual has been the same for six years now: Make pizza. We have turned down a lot of great Friday night offers, just so we could stay home and make … Continue reading →

The Whitmore Playground was a most welcome site as Jesse and I pulled off the interstate, and, for the first time, took a sharp turn onto Southwest Boulevard. The park and all its vibrant colors and unique shapes immediately made … Continue reading →

This Sunday we will consider yet another R word: reconciliation. So naturally, I was drawn to this wood sculpture called Peace. This was given to me as a going away gift from John Gaeddert, an exceptional man and artist of … Continue reading →

This is a Bethel College tote bag that was given to me during my final days in North Newton. It was packed with who-knows- what so that might explain the wrinkles. I saw this out of the corner of my … Continue reading →