the spiritual poverty of the Anabaptist vision

Posted by: Len
Church: Metro Community Kelowna, BC
Date: February 13th, 2012

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,” says the Lord. Zech. 4:6b

In January in Chicago I taught a group of students in a five day modular class. They were a great bunch: men and women engaged in ministry, mostly pastors, ranging in age from 31 years to 58 years.

In our interaction, about half shared the experience of a supernatural call. These ones had a different expectation and level of faith in their walk with God. Their lives were characterized by divine guidance and divine interruptions. They listened for God, and expected God to surprise them. They consciously surrendered their plans to the Lord day by day and week by week. They had a more vital relationship to the chief Shepherd, and in general a richer understanding of grace as offered to them daily – a river that flowed in and through their lives.

Why does this kind of experience appear so limited among Mennonite believers? Why have so few experienced healing from the wounds they carry? And why does prayer seem so absent among us? My experience among the EMMC is that prayer is a last resort, and too often only a token characteristic of our meetings. Our level of faith in general is low, and our tendency to rely on our own gifts and abilities is high.

In 1 Corinthians 1-4 Paul describes two kinds of wisdom: human and divine. He contrasts human ability in general with the power that comes from God. He mentions church growth, the ministry of preaching and the ministry of teaching. All these things can be pursued in human strength and wisdom, or in the power of the Spirit. That power was clearly displayed at the Cross, where God raised up Jesus from the grave, defeating even death itself.

In these chapters, Paul makes some striking statements of contrast. The first occurs in chapter 2:4.

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,
but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom,
but on God’s power.

If this became the standard for testing the teaching and preaching ministry in our churches, how many would pass? In how many churches do we see a demonstration of the power of the Spirit? Wesley Duewel writes, “If you rely on training, you accomplish what training can do. If you rely on skills and hard work, you obtain the results that skills and hard, faithful work can do. When you rely on committees, you get what committees can do. But when you rely on God, you get what God can do.”

In how many of our churches do we see any kind of result that MUST be attributed to God’s power, and not to human wisdom or ability? The greatest measure of the work of Christ is a transformed life, but in the New Testament we see the operation of many spiritual gifts, with miraculous results. In fact, the two are related. Transformed lives, and the power of the Spirit, seen in gifts of prophesy, healing, knowledge and more, are closely related. Where the Spirit is at work, people grow to maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16, notice that ALL FIVE equipping gifts are required, and not only pastor-teachers).

But before it seems that I am writing this to criticize our churches and their leaders, I want to take one step back. The problem is much larger than our leadership, and it is not only a current issue.

In an article written in the MB Herald in 1993, Stephen Dintaman wrote an article titled “The Spiritual Poverty of the Anabaptist Vision.” His intention is not to criticize the vision or practice of 16th century Anabaptists, but the way that vision had been taught and practiced more recently. He referenced the work of Harold Bender, who in 1942 stated that the essence of Anabaptism is summarized in three points: 1) the Christian life as discipleship; 2) the church as community; and 3) the practice of non-resistant love. Dintaman notes that for Bender himself, there was much more to the vision. He shared his vision of Anabaptism against a horizon of beliefs that were not explicitly stated.

Dintaman notes two particular assumptions behind Bender’s work. 1) He held firmly to basic evangelical doctrines about the being and work of God in Christ; and 2) he believed and taught that the living out of the vision was only possible through the indwelling presence of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dintaman writes that the next generation of “Anabaptist vision” theologians after Bender “taught passionately about Christian behaviour and deepened the concept of discipleship. But they gave only passing attention to the work of Christ and the work of the Spirit in the inner transformation of the person.”

This approach to the Anabaptist vision resulted in generations of Mennonites learning obedience to Christ, without learning equally that discipleship is only possible because Christ empowers us to follow Him, and without always personally experiencing the reality of the Spirit in their lives.

Furthermore, each of us needs to understand and know ourselves as beloved. Dintaman points out that we are Jesus friends, and not only his servants. “Until we get as passionate about praise and prayer as we do about social-political analysis, we will remain spiritually impoverished.”

This is a significant analysis for a number of reasons, but two are critical issues as we think about our impact in our communities TODAY. We want to reach our neighbours – un-churched Mennonites as well as our neighbours who may have never been exposed to the Gospel. Dintaman raises a number of issues, but in light of our practice of discipleship, these two are critical for us.

1. There is no point in sending people out on mission who have not personally experienced both the forgiveness of Christ, and the inner work of the Spirit. These ones may attempt to follow Christ on mission, but they will do it with heavy hearts and not joy, because they have not personally experienced the inner healing that an encounter with Christ should bring.

2. People who have learned self-reliance often have shallow prayer lives. They do not experience the leading of the Spirit and do not exercise His gifts. They are handicapped as Christian workers, and even more handicapped as missionaries.

As Dintaman puts it, Anabaptist churches often fail to grow not because we don’t have good plans or because we fail to make efforts at outreach, but because self-reliant people have little patience with human weakness (including our own). Moreover, we don’t know how to rely on the Spirit, who is the one Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 3, who “gives the growth.”

In short, a strong theology of discipleship without a strong theology of the Spirit creates burdened people who carry too much baggage to be effective in helping others find God. We first need our own people both saved and set free — knowing more than a form of godliness, but also its power. Then we have a chance to establish a dynamic local mission movement.

Find Dintaman’s short article HERE.

“Remembering the fallen, but wary of war.”

Posted by: Jacob Friesen
Church: Nassau Street Church Winnipeg
Date: November 11th, 2011

I just came back from my morning coffee where the friendly manager asked what I would be doing for the ceremony today?  I wrestled with how to respond honestly.  Then I sat down in the comfortable leather chair and read the following article in the Globe & Mail.  I think it expresses my struggle.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/news-and-views/judith-timson/remembering-the-fallen-but-wary-of-war/article2232533/

Could we as followers of Christ explore a response that honors the sacrifices but is honest about pushing for better solutions to conflict.

A book everyone should read…..

Posted by: Jacob Friesen
Church: Nassau Street Church Winnipeg
Date: July 21st, 2011

I am back to work after a short vacation.  A few days were spent around the house cleaning & organizing the garage but the bulk was spent in the saddle of my bicycle, sometime in a Kayak and I read two big novels.  Oh, the forgotten joy of reading a good story has me all excited about encouraging us to be readers and learners.

Yes, of course the most important reading we do is in the Bible, which I am working at with fresh joy and diligence as well.  So, with that affirmed, what books besides the Bible have shaped you in a profound way?  It might be a novel, a old classic or a new best seller?  Don’t worry – I will start and then invite you to join me.  Maybe we can create a top 10 list of some sort.