To the President of the United States
Mar 8, 2010 reflecting, responding
To the President of the United States:
Inasmuch as these are days of stress and trial owing to the conditions of war existing among many of the leading nations of the world and the threatening conditions existing which seem to imperil the peace and safety of still other nations, and since the existing conditions involve the spiritual and moral life as well as the material welfare of the citizens of these nations, and especially those whose religious convictions are opposed to the use of carnal weapons, and engaging in carnal warfare, and who hold that the teaching and example of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace should be followed in loving one’s enemies and doing good to all men, in returning good for evil and suffering wrong rather than doing wrong, which principles and practices are dear to many Christian people, and especially to the Mennonite Church.
Tags: 1915, General Conference, President Letter, WWI
Brethren in Christ Church, fruits of 2009 video, self-application?
Mar 5, 2010 church planting, missional, reflecting
Some of you may have heard me share some parts of my family story before. I love to share the stories that make me a walking contradiction as a individual, that contradiction being half of my family (my Father’s side) is from a long line of inherited Scottish blood that runs through our veins, which is full of a violent pursuit for freedom and of individuals that run deep with pride. Though, on my Mother’s side, my family history is rich with over sixteen generations of Anabaptist heritage – a confession of the Christian faith that is humble, peaceful and full of simplicity. Yet, the contradictions don’t stop there, my first name, Jeffrey, means “God’s Gift of Peace” and my last name, “McLain”, stems from the Gaelic name “MacLaine of Lochbuie” which means “Son of Gillian the Battle Axe“. From a Scottish Clan, that hosts a slogan “Vincere Vel Mori” (Conquor or Die) I find myself progressive but influenced by the Anabaptist side of calm simplicity.
There are also many beautiful stories of history that have been passed down generation to generation on both sides of my family, and through my genealogical research I have come across many more interesting stories from both my Scottish side and my Anabaptist family. Perhaps one of the most compelling and one that speaks the most of God’s provision, is that of my relation to Jacob Engle and the instrument he was to be used in God’s orchestra to announce a new aspect of the Kingdom of Heaven to this earth. Jacob Engle, was the founding Pastor of a community of followers of Jesus called the “River Brethren” meeting in Marietta, Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River; which would give way and become the Evangelical Anabaptist denomination we call the Brethren In Christ Church.
Tags: 2009 Cooperative Ministries Thank You, Anna Engel, B.I.C, brethren in christ, Brethren In Christ Thanks, Brethren In Christ Video, Catch His Vision, Catholic Oppression, Cooperative Ministries, Jacob Engel, Jacob Engle, Jeffrey "God's Peace", MacLaine of Lochbuie, Marietta Pennsylvania, Mennonite World Conference, River Brethren, Susquehanna River, Swiss Alps, Swiss Brethren, True Church, Ulrich Engel, Vincere Vel Mori, Yokeli
What song does my life sing?
Mar 2, 2010 reflecting
The radio is known for killing our favorite songs, we all know that the minute you like a new single on the radio, it isn’t much later till we are all tired of it because they are playing it on the top of every half and hour. Before we know it, all our favorite songs are now songs we are tired of listening too.
Actually, sometimes with a new CD this same pattern takes place. I get a new CD and I drain the energy right out of it by recycling it over and over, every time I get a chance to listen to it and it isn’t long to that CD that once felt energerizing now feels tired, dry and tiresome.
Tags: 1989, 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 2:14, Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan Goes Electric, Bob Dylan's Born Again Era, Disease of Conceit, Dry, Erik Whittington, Faith, Harrisburg, I love you Lord, Lifesong, Oh Mercy, PA", Pennsylvania, Song Branding, Tired, Tiresome
Thoughts on Tithing in the Church…
Dec 27, 2009 church planting, reflecting
A friend of mine, in his blog, proposed questions on the topic of tithe in his recent post that is looking at the apparent un-sever-able tie between the need of tithe and the costs of operating as a church.
I made a few comments on his blog, how the american church needs to learn to work with less. However, I have been chewing on this topic, all week. As someone who studies to someday Church Plant a “simple church” in “megaland” “Southern California”; I continued to ask my self questions on this topic this week and come to some of reasoning for me on how not only are American Churches needing to work with less, but they need to figure out how to do MORE (then we are now) with LESS (then we are getting and demanding, now). Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Church, discussion on tithe, how should tithing look in a church plant, importance of tithing, reflections on church, should i tithe, thoughts on church, tithing
A Christmas Letter…
Dec 23, 2009 reflecting
The Holiday Season leading up to Christmas is full of mythical diverse characters and well seasoned stories that are designed to remind us of what this time of the year is about. I think that is my favorite part of Christmas and the surrounding Holiday Season is the vintage memoirs and stories that still serve to make this time of the year magical – even in our adult years when we feel the magic we felt as kids, is now beyond us. One of those well reminding seasoned stories full of a diverse of mythical characters is Charles Dickens; “A Christmas Carol”. It has become our family tradition to reflect on the story but to watch the classic George C. Scott movie based on the book. When Charles Dickens first published his enriched child fairytale book, “A Christmas Carol” in 1843, I wonder if that he knew what a timeless inspiration it would become or that it would inspire many other movies, stories and tales based on his beloved writing. One of the reflections that stuck out to me this year in this classic piece is the opening interaction between Scrooge (Uncle) and his nephew.
Tags: A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, Christmas Letter, Consumer Debt, Credit Debt, Dayspring Mennonite Church, Friends of Crystal Park, God of Consumption, Jeff and Katie McLain, Lancaster Vineyard, Malls, Music for Ethiopia, Norht Coast Agency, Peace, Playlist 2010, Podcast, Scrooge, Simplicity, Stranger In This Land, Strip Centers, The Skyline District
Who are the modern Anabaptists?
Oct 28, 2009 reflecting
When I was scrolling through blogs I subscribe to, I came across a recent posting from Steve of the Young Anabaptist Radicals, in which Steve shortly and smartly addresses this issue of “What Does It Mean To Be Anabaptist?” Taking the movement to a deeper level then our Anabaptist Churches have (Mennonite, Amish, etc). It is written in a very descriptive format for those who are not Anabaptist and are merely just asking the questions; “Who are the modern Anabaptists?” and “What truly is an modern Anabaptist?”
Tags: anabaptists, modern anabaptists, theology of anabaptists, what does it mean to be an anabaptist, what is an anabaptist, Young Anabaptist Radicals
4 Legs of Christianity: Where Do Anabaptists Fit? Have We Forgotton our Renewal Side?
Sep 15, 2009 reflecting, reviews
As I watched a Historian Speak the other Day at a Music Festival I was attending, she addressed the four main “legs” of Christianity, and tried to systematically explain into which leg every mainline and common church denominations fit into. As she broke down where even some smaller church types fit into, she almost purposely skipped over the Anabaptist movement of the church. I watched on from the side stage of the festival; sitting under a large canvas tent as the rain fell harder and harder outside, waiting for her to make sense of our unique pietism and peaceful movement – however no explanation came on which leg we leaned. Was it spirit led? Was it justice based? Was it Sola Scripture? I began to drone out her discussion as I became memorized by the pouring rain and entered thoughts on our movement and the full spectrum approach it took at the time of our succession.
Tags: Anabaptist, Catholic Priest, Charismatic, Dirk Willems, Free Course, Gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Menno Simmons, Mennonite, Pilgram Marpeck, Prophecy, Renewal Church, South Germany, Speaking in Tongues, Spirtual Gifts, Swiss Brethren
The Tension & Balance of the Early Church on Non-Resistance
Sep 11, 2009 reflecting
I am committed to living a non-resistant lifestyle. To some of you that is no surprise – and yet to others that might be a shock, bad theology or it might be just confusing on what that means. Perhaps the bigger surprise for some, is that I believe Jesus not only demonstrated this lifestyle – but has called us as the church and as Christians that make up the church to live it out as well.
For some of you, like I said, you are going to view this as bad theology – but regardless please continue to bear a little longer with me as I continue this brief note. I would like to present to you perhaps some of my story, but more a few simple points to “chew on” in your thoughts.
Recently, I had a discussion with a reformed Baptist woman during my travels to California who believed that the ‘tradition’ of non-resistance and pacifism began and ended with the Anabaptist and Historic Peace Churches. She said sometimes she doesn’t know where the Historic Peace Churches (Mennonites, Brethren, Brethren in Christ, Amish, Quakers, etc) get their ‘traditions’ and why they continue to pass down a tradition that has no biblical evidence or mandate.
Tags: Anabaptist History, Anabaptist Movement, Christian Forefathers, Cyprian of Carthage, Dayspring Mennonite, Didascalia, Early Church, Historic Peace Church, Justin Martyr, Non-Resistance, Pacifism, Pacifist, Pastor Bob Yoder, Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Tertullian, Trypho
Historical Spotlight “Dirk Willems”
Feb 22, 2009 reflecting
Historical Spotlight is a special column, where we take some time and anaylze the forebearers of our anabaptist faith, that helped shape and form our foundations. We hope to explore the trials, tests, failures and examples from those who went before us and both be encouraged by them and grow from them. Perhaps one of the biggest issues in the church is the lack of understanding of who we are, and where we came from, this is in response to provide such an education.
This is probably a common picture and name to a lot of us, and then to others it may be completly a new face and a unknown image in dark etching. Dirk Willems was one of the earliest Anabaptist leaders. Dirk lived out his faith to such extremes that he volunteerly gave his life to Christ’s calling for his life to help a enemy, which ended in martyrdom in 1569.
Tags: Anabaptist History, Catholics, Dirk Willems, Duke of Alva, Faith Foundations, Fathers of the Faith, Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia, Historical Spotlight, Hondegat, Mennonite History, Netherlands, Protestants, Spanish Rule
