Fortunately, nine days and 9 hours ago, I drove home from the Mennonite church, happy as a clam. I loved it!
How did I get from point A to point B?
Well, first I will expose my ignorance. I expected the Mennonite church to be pretty reserved and conservative. A few years ago, some friends and I, just for our sheer amusement, decided to have a "Home School" party. (We were pretty wild!) We all dressed up uber-conservatively, acted really awkward, played this game called Generosity (a Christian version of Life), and tried to bring up God as much as we could. We were definitely making fun of the archetype Home-schooled Christian, but it was okay because 3 out of the 5 of us were home-schooled.
My point is, as I was getting dressed for service, choosing my outfit carefully (trying hard to dress very simply- not easy for me!), I couldn't help but be taken back to that silly party when I wore a very modest ankle-length denim skirt, plain pastel yellow shirt, Birkenstock sandals, and cross necklace. I wondered if I needed to wear a scarf over my hair, keep jewelry to a minimum, dress like these ladies:
I made my way into the plain looking chapel (with an impressive set of instruments up front) and plunked down. The service would be starting in just a minute. As I noticed a woman who seemed to be noticing me, thinking "How do I know her??" another woman behind me tapped me on the shoulder, asked if I was new, and then introduced herself. Then, something that I've been hoping wouldn't happen in any of my church visits finally happened. "Would you mind if we introduced you to the congregation during the service?" Sure enough, a couple minutes into the service when the minister asked if there were any visitors, this kind lady stood up and introduced me by first and last name :) I did that awkward quickly stand up and half-heartedly wave thing. I then saw that woman who I recognized from somewhere whisper to her husband.
Onto the actual service and message- the things that made me glad I came. Here is what I loved about the Mennonite church I was at: the music, the friendly people, and their affirmation of values I have been emphasizing as a Christian for the last few years (peace, social justice, financial simple living, moderation, separation of church and state, to name a few). I'll begin with the music.
I am a lover of music. I've been in choir since 4th grade, but even before that, I sang all the time. I'm an alto, so because of my time in high school/ college choir, I've gotten used to singing the harmony. Though I'm no longer in any choir, I'm still very much a harmonizer. Whether singing in my car or singing in church, it actually takes effort to sing the melody. At my home church, where we generally have a small band upfront and the lyrics projected onto a screen for all to read (but no actual notes displayed), I, as a harmonizer, am a minority. I have been sticking to the melodies while visiting various churches, partly because you have to know the song well enough before you can add another dimension to it, and partly because I don't want to stick out anymore than I already am.
This church was different. There were no electric guitars, no loud drums, and no power point lyrics displayed for all to see. While many churches have modernized their approach to praise and worship, this church has stuck with hymns and acoustic instruments. From the first note of the first hymn we sang, I realized that these Mennonites knew how to sight read, and they knew whether or not they were alto or soprano; tenor or bass, then stuck to those parts like there was a Bible verse commanding them to! It was musical bliss. In addition my joy that I could once again be an alto during full-congregation songs, there were a few special musical acts that were enjoyable. Piano, harmonica, banjo, and cello were some of the instruments that were used throughout the service. Also, Mennonites clap after someone sings or plays in front of the congregation. I like that. (Some churches don't think it's appropriate to clap- praise a person- during a church service, but not clapping, to me, has always feels kind of cold.)
As for the people and the message, I could tell that the people I was sitting amongst wanted to make a difference in not only heaven, but also the world we can currently see. During prayer requests, one man stood up and announced that he knew of a 17 year-old girl in our community who was homeless. He said that if anyone would like to consider taking her into their home for a while, they could talk to him after the service. The fact that he would even feel comfortable presenting a request like that to the congregation, and the fact that he seemed to genuinely feel bad for her and want to help her out (instead of blaming her parents or assuming she has a drug addiction or something like that) blew me away. They didn't want to blend in with Conservative Christians with their American (ahem, Republican) forms of Christianity, but instead knew that in order for their faith to remain pure, it could not be affected by any nation or modern culture.
They were not willing to kill anyone, period. That decision could be left up to God. During a prayer, the minister said, "Help us to be peacemakers planting seeds of peace throughout our lives." She discussed the number of Afghanis and Iraquis who have been killed since September 11th. Her sermon was titled "Extravagant Citizenship" and was about really giving yourself to something, no matter what the cost. It seemed to me that the cause she suggested giving yourself to was more the ideals of peace, justice, and love than God. The sermon did not really stress maintaining a relationship with Jesus or trying to win people over to God. I think the assumption was that everyone in that room was a Christian, so why bring up faith? Instead, they focused on using their Biblical roots to live with peace, love, and mercy on their hearts and in their hands, giving what they could to make this community, this state, this country, and hopefully, this world, better than it was the day before.
"Every person can do what they can to be a good citizen and to make the world a better place."
As the sermon came to a close, I made eye contact with that recognized lady (by this point, I had realized who she was) and we chatted for a bit. I then saw another person I had once met (we chatted), plus two others I had only met that week! Four people in one small congregation! I was impressed by the odds. It was like something was telling me that I already had a head start at a community there, in case I ever wanted to return to the faith. As I drove home, I thought, "Wow, it's like I've been Mennonite all this time without even realizing it!"
Although, looking back on the service, I have to wonder if it felt that good because it seemed more humanist than Christian? An unbeliever was able to sit in the service and agree with most of the things that were said, so, if I really did decide that Christianity is what I can claim as truth, I'm not sure that I would really go to the Mennonite church. Wouldn't I want to go to a more Bible-based church? Maybe alternate between the Mennonite and a more Bible-based church? Guess I can cross that bridge if I get there, but for now, Mennonite wad enjoyable.
The Mennonites are certainly an interesting group, in their mixing of traditional but also very progressive values. I wrote about them a bit here not too long ago. I have been especially impressed by their commitment for peace and against war, and their efforts to care for those in distress.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph is fascinating. I'm trying to learn that it doesn't have to be that way, humanist vs. bible believing, that maybe the shared values are more important than the dividing ones (eg. belief/unbelief). But at the same time, I still feel the same way, to the extent that Christianity is based on the idea that it is a true story of history and of the world we live in, I have a hard time wanting to be a part of it if I don't share those beliefs.
I agree with atimetorend. Why is it so dichotomous? What they believe in is a moral set based from the Bible. I've gotta say the same for myself, too, not to mention a lot of people I know who eventually return to Christianity: even if they don't believe, they want to raise their kids in the Church because it's a great way to develop a complex set of ethics. It's all just going to depend on interpretation of text. The Mennonite pacifism comes from a super literal and devout hold on Thou Shalt Not Kill. They're humanist, sure, but certainly aren't without the Good Book.
ReplyDelete(I had a friend for a while in college who was Mennonite. She left it eventually because she couldn't agree to the pacifism and thought we needed to be in Afghanistan fighting a war. She also got frustrated with "Mennonite literalism" with the Bible. Here I'd always thought it was "Mennonite liberalism!")
P.S. I used to play Generosity all the time! I bet I made you play it a few times when we were small. The first time I played Life I was really confused why there was no heaven at the end or judgment to see how good you were as a person. What was the point otherwise? I wonder if I still have that game in my basement... hm...
I swear, I'll post more about the dichotomy... but I'm tired. I do have to say, YOU HAD GENEROSITY!? Your comment about being confused in Life had me laughing out loud!! You PK :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I attended the Biologos conference this summer, I met a few Mennonites (some who choose the denomination and weren't born into it). I was embarrassed to admit to them I had no idea what they believed and thought they were similar to the Amish. They were one of the nicest people I met at the conference, and had no problems reconciling evolution with the Bible. The only thing I find difficult about the denomination is that fact that most are born into it...so it just seems so cultural to me. But after reading your post, perhaps we should give a mennonite church a try (if there are even any around here, which I doubt).
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