“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. “ ( 1 Peter 2:5 )
When I first started writing the commentary on these scripture passages, I had thought to speak to the scripture passages themselves. But I have found myself drawn also to the articles of faith that the scriptures had been cited in support of, and so I spoke also to those articles. But as the days and weeks have gone by, I seem to be spending more words on talking about Mennonites and our confession of faith, and not so much on the scripture passages. I am considering, gentle reader, if there should come a time that I turn from the confession of faith to speaking directly to the scripture passages.
So now here we are, talking about “spiritual houses” and church polity. Two days ago, I talked about discipline in the church. And how Mennonites are trying to deal with the division in the denomination as is being felt in Mennonite Church USA (the conference that includes all congregations that have voluntarily joined the conference). How can I just a scant two days after that talk about church order and unity as if it is a completely reality? But how can I “pull the curtain” further back on the challenges faced by Mennonite Church USA?
The commentary section of the article on church order and unity says, “Mennonite church structures have upheld the centrality of the church as a community of believers. Some have emphasized the local congregation as the primary unit of the church. Others have seen the wider church (the conference) as the primary unit. The first case reflects a congregation-to-conference polity, where the local congregation determines the extent of its accountability to the larger church. The second has resulted in a conference-to-congregation polity, where the larger church carries more authority. Neither of our Mennonite bodies is clearly on one side or the other. [Note: since this Confession was written, the two conference have been integrated and then divided into Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA.] One tendency has been to promote the congregation as the primary unit. This emphasis encourages local initiative, but it can detract from the church’s wider mission and from broader church cooperation. The church should be viewed as one seamless garment, extending from the smallest unit (“where two or three are gathered,” Matthew 18:20) to the worldwide church. Accountability and responsibility apply to every level of church.” [Emphasis mine.]
Are we “one seamless garment”? No. But then Christianity is not one seamless garment either. That Mennonites are different colors and hues in different styles and shapes should been accounted as no more alarming then the fact that Christianity functions in the same way. But if we all follow God and Christ why would there be such marked differences? Why indeed!
Oh gentle reader! I write out of love of the Mennonite church, Christianity, and the global community! I write out of a desire to set aside our differences and worship God as one voice, combining all of our voices from all nations, all cultures, all accents, and all traditions into beautiful harmony. I write so that we might come under one God in shalom! It is “a simple desire”, but one that is incredibly complicated.
May you gentle reader find order and unity in your life so that you might live in shalom with all of creation. Selah!
