Isn't that like Amish or something... WAIT do you even have electricity? Where is your bonnet?
If I had a quarter for every time someone asked me these questions, I would be able to pay off my student loans! Unfortunately, my think-on-the-spot-easy-answer definition of Mennonite theology was not even worth a quarter. I usually replied, "Well, it's just a denomination of Christianity - but we believe in adult baptism and we're pacifists." However, being one of three Mennonites at McKinley High School in Canton, OH, and attending a Quaker college, I've had quite a bit of practice explaining my beliefs to fellow classmates, and it is not that simple.
Eventually, I was forced to delve into the deep, scary corners of myself and ask if I actually resonated with the Mennonite belief system, or if I was so used to regurgitating the easy answers that I had diluted the truth with the whole peace and love thing.
Here are A FEW highlights. Typing out the whole confession of faith would be no fun for me to write or for you to read. Also, I'm going to focus strictly on what we believe, but the entire Menno-history story is a blog post for another day. If any of my Menno-fam would like to add, correct, suggest, simplify, complexify, bring attention to, etc. Please do so in the comments below :)
1. We are not Amish, we do use electricity... and my bonnet is probably somewhere in the attic because I know I had one at some point and it was once my favorite dress up accessory.
Now that I've cleared that up... On to the next.
2. We see Jesus as the most accurate representation of who God is.
This is an important idea to understand before I go into other topics because it explains the basis of those beliefs. If Jesus is truly God's son, then he must also be the perfect example of what we, as Christians, should strive to be like.
Jesus was never ashamed of the poor, the sick, or the needy. Instead, he reached out to the people our society would call sluts and befriended a shifty tax collector. He respected the input of children. He had a calm and gentle spirit. He had almost no possessions, he didn't marry, and he was born in a stable. Jesus was surprisingly not a rich man that lived the American dream while calling the poor lazy and fighting for tax cuts on behalf of the wealthy (sorry, I had to throw that out there).
So... most of the Mennonite theology is based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Not because we ignore the old testament, but because we believe that he is the truest reflection of what God would want a Christian life to look like.
Sound interesting? Read A Third Way by Paul M. Lederach (Only 150 pages, it's a quickie!)
3. The pacifist thing.
Since we look to Jesus as our example, we notice that he was the epitome of living a peaceful life. Therefore we choose a path of nonresistance. We choose not to defend ourselves in this dark, twisted world. Some see this as illogical, naive, and flat out weird. But I don't believe God called us to follow the logic and fairness of this world; He called us to be kind and merciful to the wicked.
Jesus chose to turn the other cheek even when it meant losing his life. He chose to heal the ear of a man who was trying to kill him. He chose to love and support a disciple who would later betray him.
That is so powerful.
What if we trusted, loved, and supported everyone even though they could betray us? What if we died for what we believed in instead of killing for it? Wouldn't that send a stronger message about what God is all about? The world is controlled by a "power over" theology. Whoever has the most power, force or intimidation will get their way. This changes someone's behavior to avoid a consequence. But Jesus calls us to a "power under" theology. It is slow and it is hard, but it changes the heart and the soul and the mind.
If you want to read more on this check out the book Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory Boyd (CAUTION: this book may rock your world.)
4. We aim to live a simple life.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
These are some radical words to live by let me tell you. Living a "simple life" is not so easily defined, and just because this is taught doesn't mean we Mennonites are good at it. Growing up, my parents modeled this for me in small ways that, as a child, I did not quite appreciate the deeper meaning of. Things such as not having cable, or a central air conditioning system, or always suggesting we shop at thrift stores before heading to the mall. Lucky for me, thrift shopping is cool now! And for the record, there is no way my kids are gonna sit on their bums watching cable television all day so I'm happy to have a husband that was more than happy to not invest in this luxury. My parents also planted themselves in a "not-so-nice" neighborhood and we had "not so nice" cars and "not so modern" interior design. Disclaimer: To the majority of the world we have it pretty darn good, but the point is that on sometimes, my parents did not see the benefit in buying things just because they could afford them.
Does the fact that we CAN have something, mean that we SHOULD have something? I don't believe that it does. And Jesus didn't seem to live that way. I think if Jesus wanted to he could've gotten rich quick. He only had all of God's power and favor on his side! But he chose not to, he chose to live with the least of these. And what does the newest car, or the 6 bedroom house, or the granite countertops, or the diamond ring on my own finger have to do with furthering God's kingdom? The answer, I am sorry to say, is N O T H I N G.
For they could all be stolen, they could all be lost, they could all be destroyed.
Further reading on this subject: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. It's on amazon for only 8.69, how could you not!? The author is absolutely hilarious, and this book will truly make you ponder what you do and do not need.
5. Baptism
Mennonites are anabaptists, meaning we believe that the person getting baptized should be at an age where they can confess their faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and make a public decision to follow him. I was baptized the summer after my freshman year of high school after an outdoor church service, (during which I had to give a speech) in a terribly mucky lake. For some reason, I think this is the coolest thing ever! Maybe it's my love for nature or the fact that I had so many childhood memories in that lake, or that I did it with some of my best friends - but the idea of getting baptized in a glorified bathtub just seemed awkward. And we aren't the only crazy, nature-loving, Christians out there because my husband was baptized in a lake too and he's Baptist!
Want to read a book all about baptism? I got nothin for ya...
6. 606!!
606 is the page number of the hymn "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow," and if we Mennos had a theme song this would be it. The fact that some people refer to hymns in accordance to page number shows how crazy about hymns we are! Although we might have them memorized because during a hymn sing Sunday you've gotta be quick shouting out your request or you'll never have a chance. At my home church, we sang 2-3 hymns per service and that was always the moments I chose to go to the bathroom. I never thought hymns would be enjoyable, but when I think about the words I'm singing and listening to the gorgeous Mennonite harmonies surrounding me, there is not much that can beat it.
It is probably due to the minimalist, unemotional, sometimes off-beat worship songs that we did sing, that I simply cannot stand to worship in an environment where lights are flashing and the band is so loud you need earplugs and then they keep repeating the last line over and over and over. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with this worship style... it's just not what I'm used to. I'm also a grandma deep down so that could be a Tori thing more than a Mennonite thing. But summer camp - summer camp is a different ball game. If I'm anywhere close to the land of luz I'll jump around and scream at the top of my lungs because I'm in running shorts and a t-shirt and all is right with the world. I even do the hand motions believe it or not.
STILL- please no flashing lights at summer camp.
Coming next week: What is a Mennonite Anyway? Part 2, because I clearly had no idea how much I had to say. I still want to cover sharing time, emphasis on community, food, foot washing, relation to government and society... Any other suggestions?
I brushed up on a few sections of the Mennonite Confession of faith before writing this article which can be found at mennoniteusa.org if you are interested.
