** THE BARE TRUTH: EXCERPTS FROM NAKED ANABAPTIST **

“I’m so relieved to find others who believe as I do. People in my church think I’m crazy when I go on about such things,” frequent author Stuart Murray quotes near the opening of his new book about Anabaptism. Murray and other similarly-minded Christians may not belong to a Mennonite church, but they think, talk and walk like an Anabaptist. Provocatively titled The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith, the 190-page book tackles, in down-to-earth language, the core components of Anabaptism, and what they mean for faith in both Great Britain (Murray’s context) and North America.

Third Way Café has excerpts from all eight chapters of Naked Anabaptist , You can buy the whole book for just $13.95.

Ryan Dueck is also blogging about the book in installments and he is up chapter four. You may find his blog a good place for dialogue on the topic, or on the Naked Anabaptist Facebook page. 

** JESUS MATTERS AT THIRD WAY CAFÉ **

Jesus Christ is popular with many North Americans, but do they honor the Jesus of Scripture? Each author in the book Jesus Matters (edited by James Krabill and David Shenk) teams with one or more young adults to consider the various ways we encounter and experience Jesus. Topics include Jesus and creation, Jesus and the cross, Jesus and salvation, Jesus and mission, and Jesus and the future. Two chapters are excerpted on Third Way Café’s Glimpses of Jesus pages. 

Also included on the page are “Spiritual Autobiographies” from students at Lancaster Mennonite High School, who were asked about their questions and experiences with Jesus. The book is available from Mennonite Publishing Network.

** TURNING 50? PONDER AT THE WELL WITH CAROLE BOSHART **

Carole Boshart’s twice-monthly scripture meditation, “Pondering at the Well” looks at how much age five is like 50, and vice versa. If you’re almost there, or whatever your age, check it out in Third Way Café’s “Sip of Scripture” section where you can also sign up for the column as a regular subscription.

** THIRD WAY CAFÉ ACCESSED FREQUENTLY AFTER TRAGIC NEWS **

As we’ve seen before, when the national media focus on news about Mennonites or Amish, inquiring minds flock to Third Way Café for information. On March 26, 2010 CNN website quoted from Third Way Café website in giving background on Mennonites, in light of the horrible accident in Kentucky that killed 11 Mennonites in a van traveling to Iowa for a wedding. (Subsequently, blogs picked up the TWC reference too.) Page views spiked at 2040 on March 26, with heavier traffic in the following days (normal page views of about 300 a day).

** FIND OTHER INFO AND FANS AT THIRD WAY FACEBOOK PAGE **

If you’ve never taken the time to check it out or connect with other Third Way Café fans on Facebook, take a minute today. It is nice to see your faces!

** GROWING POPULARITY OF CREDIT CARD DONATIONS **

Our bookkeeper just noted that more people are signing up for automatic or one-time credit card donations to Third Way Media. You may have noticed you don’t get these “What’s New” updates as often as you used to. We are stretched very thin and can use all the help we can get. If you can help, you can do so online, or mail to Third Way Media, 1251 Virginia Avenue, Harrisonburg VA, 22802.