I took a risk in asking some questions about Mennonite distinctives. I framed the questions so they would be probing, yet wide-open for any and all to answer. It felt risky, and proved to be so.
There’s no doubt in my mind that this is a pressure point. Call me naïve, but I honestly didn’t realize asking these questions would produce as many fireworks as they did. My intention was not to create an argument or discredit our Anabaptist heritage. It’s just that there are a few things I wanted to share with my generation and felt I had to first ask some (risky) questions.
The Risks and Why I Did It
People tend to come into conversations like this with their minds already made up. I struggle with this, myself. Sometimes when reading what other people say, I get riled up inside and want to quickly retaliate, and that’s a sign I’ve already made up my mind on the matter.
When we come with predetermined conclusions on the conversation, we have no desire for mutual growth. We just want others to see our point. Those kinds of conversations are rarely profitable because they become big arguments that only further alienate people from each other. This was one of the risks in starting a discussion like this.
I also knew that many people would probably misinterpret my questions, leading to answers that don’t really have to do with what I was asking. In part, it is inevitable when published online where anyone from any background with any experience can read it. But it can also happen because people read the questions through the lenses of their own experiences without stopping to hear what is really being asked.
These risks made me nervous that the people I most want to influence would come away offended, either by me or those who would comment. That made me think more than twice about even posing the questions.
But here’s why I did it: Anabaptists do well at running programs, but not at engaging the unchurched and making disciples. Not yet, anyway. Some other evangelical groups are doing a tremendous job making disciples. My generation is hungry for authenticity. I think what many of us struggle with, and would cause us to leave our Anabaptist upbringing, isn’t a desire for worldliness but a desire for more of God and to authentically follow Him.
Yet, when we do decide to leave and join a church that is producing more fruit in Kingdom building, it seems like we often leave the valuable parts of our past behind. We decide it’s okay to dress less modestly, or rationalize away the head-covering. In wanting to become more effective in making disciples, we take the same physically-focused mindset that we’re frustrated with in the conservative circles and decide that changing our applications is the key to being more effective.
Because of the tension I feel in my generation, I had some questions and I asked them.
What Surprised Me about the Answers I Got
But as comments started rolling in, I found myself surprised.
I was surprised by how many people missed the heart of the questions, even after I clarified them further. It seemed like my questions felt threatening.
I was also surprised that out of five hundred and thirty words, much the discussion centered around two of them that were only used once each—and rather than asking what I meant by them, people assumed the worst.
It surprised me that we view the world more through our Anabaptist cultural lenses than Biblical cultural lenses—even to the point of doubting the authenticity of people’s relationship with God if they aren’t Mennonite. I couldn’t believe that. We act as if all evangelical Christians don’t value marriage, are filled with lust, and can’t control themselves.
One in three women are sexually abused. My Dad has been a conservative Mennonite pastor all my life, and throughout the years of counseling that he and Mom have done, I remember them commenting how that statistic has proven true even in the churches they’ve pastored. I don’t think just because you wear a plain suit means you’re not full of lust.
But what surprised me the most in all of this is that I began the post with a devastating statement, yet it didn’t seem to faze anyone.
“Church is confusing.”
No one seemed concerned by that comment. No one challenged it. And no one appeared to notice how loud it is when no one challenges it.
I started that way because in my recent Reader Survey one of the most common struggles my readers face is that “church frustrates them.” Isn’t it awful that the bride of Christ is viewed as “frustrating” instead of beautiful? Is it not appalling that we can say “church is confusing” and no one challenges the validity of that statement? Furthermore, doesn’t it break us to realize that?
Instead, we just entered a conversation with our minds made up on who’s at fault.
It leads me to another question: Are we that hard-hearted?
Christ’s Last Command
Some people pose being effective and relevant against being obedient and faithful to Christ. I think this can come from a misunderstanding of how we’re using the words.
For instance, we can try to make the Gospel relevant to our world, or we can try to bring the Gospel to our world in a relevant way. Those are two different perspectives. One ends up watering down the Gospel so the world likes it. The other simply tweaks how we share the Gospel so the world understands it.
Both Jesus and Paul tweaked how they shared the Good News depending on who they were engaging. That’s a good use of being relevant.
But I’d like to focus more on why being effective and relevant should matter to us as we faithful obey Christ. I don’t want to make relevancy and effectiveness bigger than they really are, but I believe it pin-points much of the conflict my generation feels.
Right before He left earth, Jesus said,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the ends of the earth.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
While Christ gave us many commands, this one seems extra significant. First of all, it’s the last one he gave His disciples. Secondly, He takes the time to reaffirm that “all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth.”They already know he only speaks what the Father tells Him, but he still bothers to remind them of his authority. Why? He’s getting ready to leave an important commission.
Let’s take a look at the implications of this Great Commission.
“Go”
You, me. We are to go. Not stay. Go! We are the initiators in this process. We don’t wait for them to come to us. We don’t sit around for “opportunities,” we are called to go and create opportunities.
“Make”
Christ says this in the context of an understanding that God’s Holy Spirit does the work through us (see Acts 1), yet Christ still calls us “to make.”
This means that we are creating something that did not previously exist. We’re not just helping other disciples on their journey (as important as that is), but we are making new disciples of Christ. It involves strategy. The way we disciple. Constant evaluation of whether we’re going about it in the most effective way. It means that if we aren’t “making,” we should be asking “Why? What are we doing wrong?”
“Disciples”
A disciple is someone who learns of someone else. We are to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Disciples of Christ aren’t just being taught about Christ, but they have developed a maturity and thirst for Him so that even when their teacher leaves they continue to grow in the Lord. Furthermore, the final sign of a disciple is that he is making disciples. Christ’s last command to His disciples was to “go make disciples.”
Multiplication. Reproduction. If our disciples are not reproducing, we haven’t completely made true disciples of Christ, yet.
“. . . of all nations”
This is not just a commission for the local area or for raising godly families. It’s a global responsibility. It involves other nations and peoples.
Being effective isn’t just about numbers, but it most certainly includes numbers because it includes people. And if you aren’t being relevant to people, how are you going to make them disciples of Christ?
To be relevant to your neighbor who has two children under three who were born out of wed-lock, has to work full-time, and has no husband means that you help her out. Care for her and her little family. Babysit them, invite them for a meal. And in the context of loving them, share God’s truth with them.
Instead, we jump all over her sin. That’s real relevant and effective. I’ve seen a lot of people get jumped on, and none of them have chosen to follow Christ.
If we aren’t “making” and if it’s not with “all nations” (or other people), we aren’t obeying.
“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
This means that we are making disciples in alignment with our triune God. And it is His power that works in them, not ours. They have died with Christ and have been raised to new life in Christ.
“Teaching”
I am not a Hebrew scholar, but in his book, The 7 Laws of the Learner, Bruce Wilkinson says that one of the Hebrew words for Teaching, Lamad, literally means “To cause to learn.” In Deuteronomy 4:9-10 we see this word used both for “teaching” and “learning.”
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known (or “teach them”) to your children and your children’s children– how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’”
In other words, according to the Hebrew, if the student didn’t learn the teacher never taught. This is why effectiveness is important. If we aren’t able to pass it on, we aren’t fully obeying.
The sad thing is, not only can we not pass it on to other people, we can’t pass it on to our own children. That means we’re not actually “teaching.” Oh, we may have revival meetings and someone may stand up front ranting and raving, but few are actually being caused to learn of God—personally inspired to pursue God themselves.
“. . . to observe all things I have commanded you”
This is faithfulness. Effectiveness is not just about numbers and it’s not just about obedience. It’s about teaching (causing to learn) people (numbers) to obey what Christ commanded (faithfulness).
To obey Christ means we will surely obey His final command. Yet, we aren’t really.
That leads a lot of people to question whether or not we are authentically following Christ. But then, we have so many cultural things that we expect new disciples to take on, and they don’t want to. Not that they don’t want to follow Christ, they just don’t necessarily want our culture.
And then that can cause us to struggle, wondering “if our culture is that bad, is it even right? Maybe we would be more effective if we changed ‘cultures.’”
So, some leave. And sure, I think they find an ability to more effectively make disciples because there are less physical things they have to change. But what I’m wrestling with is whether that’s actually any healthier or any different than what they left?
Just like conservative Anabaptists too often look at the physical as signs of holiness, is easy to look at the physical (no longer apart of Anabaptist culture) as a sign of being effective.
Valuable & Biblical and What the Parable of the Talents Teaches Us about Them
It seems that muddled in with this intense struggle we have an inability to differentiate between what is valuable and what is Biblical.
Conservative Anabaptists try to make the valuable, Biblical. And people get frustrated by that.
Those that leave, seem to think that if it’s not Biblical it’s not valuable. But is that really true?
Yes, I believe women can apply the principle of modesty wearing pants. I’ve seen some modest slacks. And I’ve certainly seen ridiculously immodest dresses.
But I honestly think the best application of modesty is to wear a long dress. That’s something my heritage gave me. It’s valuable. The Bible doesn’t say it has to be a dress, but it’s a valuable application that I have no desire to throw away.
“What’s the Big Deal about the Head Covering?”
The tradition of men not covering their heads and women covering their heads serve as signs for remembering and showing honor of each other’s place in Christ, which helps us walk in unity.
There would be no added value for me to start wearing shorts every day. That obviously shows more skin, heading towards immodesty. The only reason I would do it is for a cooler body temperature and to fit in with culture. But if my obsession in life really is Jesus Christ, why would I bother making a decision based on fleshy desires? I would need more than that.
What my parents taught me in wearing long pants every day is a valuable application of modesty. I don’t have to change it, even if “long pants” isn’t necessarily in the Bible.
But hear me out. Anyone who has grown up in a Christian home has valuable parts of their heritage and culture.
Maybe the evangelicals could dress more modestly, but they have learned to love people and engage society at a level where they are able to influence people for Christ. Many of them exhibit more joy and patience and live with greater faith than we Anabaptists.
I am just as concerned about those who reject everything and immerse themselves into Anabaptism as I am with those who reject Anabaptism and immerse themselves in evangelicalism. It’s not one or the other. They both have valuable ways of living out the Christian life.
Lately, I’ve been meditating on the parable of the talents. I think this parable often gets abused, even to the extent of some people trying to claim that Anabaptists are those with five talents and evangelicals are those with two. That makes me sick.
The point of the parable isn’t how much one or the other had, but what they did with it.
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
“He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
“And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
“He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
“But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
“So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Two servants added to their talents and were called “good and faithful servants.” One hid his talent because he wanted to make sure it was there when the master returned.
If our talents can be likened to the valuable parts of our culture and upbringing (which probably isn’t a complete interpretation of it), then we need to be adding to them. As Anabaptists, we need to learn to sort through the junk and let it go. Then take the valuable and add to it.
Adding to it means learning from our evangelical friends, sorting through their junk without embracing it, but then adding their valuable to our valuable. The vice-versa is true if you’re from evangelical background.
But if we insist on calling the other heathen and worldly or self-righteous and proud, if we cling to our valuable and hide it so it’s well “preserved” for when the Master returns without using it to grow ourselves, even what we think we have will be taken away. We will be wicked and slothful servants thrown out by our Master.
Why I’m Mennonite
I think what is behind the drive of those who want to preserve the Anabaptist way and end up overvaluing our culture, and the drive of those who leave Anabaptism wanting more authenticity, more effectiveness and more life is ultimately a desperate desire to experience more of Christ.
I am Mennonite because I grew up in a Mennonite family. I can’t tell you if I would be Mennonite had I grown up with a different background. But I do believe most Mennonites and Evangelicals are all wanting one thing in common: more of Christ.
The authentic followers of Christ among Anabaptists will seek to follow Christ faithfully and wholeheartedly. That will probably lead them to do things that make cultural Anabaptists uncomfortable.
In the same way, authentic followers of Christ among Evangelicals (or Pentecostals, Baptists, Orthodox. . .) will seek to follow Christ faithfully and wholeheartedly. They will do things that are uncomfortable in their culture.
So, I’m Mennonite. A part of the Anabaptists. I’m glad to be a part of a group of people with a history of men who were willing to live radically. As I continue to study the Bible, I feel that Anabaptists are doing a tremendous job of trying to obey all of Scripture.
Yet, unlike many Anabaptists, I’ve grown up in the world. (Jn. 17:18) My family has interacted with lots of unbelievers. We have many non-Mennonite Christian friends. We love them dearly. Many wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.
One of the things all this interaction has convinced me of is that there is just as much junk “over there” as there is “over here.” I have no desire to leave the Anabaptist church. Not because I’m obsessed with Anabaptism, but because I know that I’ll only trade in the issues I face here for issues I’ll face there.
We as Anabaptists need to keep learning of God. Just because our forefathers radically followed Christ, doesn’t necessarily mean we still are today. I can’t help but believe that if we did radically follow Christ, as the early Anabaptists did, we could end up being as much persecuted by our own church as the Catholic Church.
We have developed a strong culture. One closely knit to Biblical principles. So close, we’ve married much of the valuable with the Biblical. That’s part of why I posed some questions.
But neither do we need to throw it out to be effective. We simply need to learn to walk in love. Being Mennonite (or non-Mennonite) really isn’t the point. It’s whether I’m following Christ and focused on Him.
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A Paradigm Shifter
John tells us,
“Anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” (1 Jn. 5:1)
Do you notice? The only condition for being born of God is that we believe Jesus is the Christ. The Anointed One. The Son of God.
And do you also see that the proof of our love for the Father is that we love everyone who has been born of Him. Even if they’re not Mennonite.
One Last Thing—No, Two
There are two questions I want to leave you:
For those who are obsessed with preserving Anabaptism, are you surrendered enough to God to let His Holy Spirit do the work in peoples’ lives, and take their confessions of belief at face value? Enough to love those who make different applications than you do? Embracing them as brothers and sisters without emotionally requiring them to conform to your culture?
And for those of you who are tempted to let it all go, are you humble enough to see the valuable and forgiving enough to admit its value and embrace it, even when it reminds you of experiences and people that have hurt you?
May we all be found truly faithful in following Jesus Christ.
*You may also be interested in reading A Prayer for My Generation.
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