The Jesus Tribe

    The Jesus Tribe:  Grace stories from Congo’s Mennonites 1912-2012 by editors Rod Hollinger-Janzen, Nancy J. Myers, and Jim Bertsche, all of AIMM, is a refreshing, and frank, account of the establishment, growth and self-sustaining work of the Holy Spirit within the context of the growing Congo Mennonite community.

    The story of the Congo Mennonites is perhaps one of the most dramatic and compelling narratives since the Russian Mennonites’ struggle for survival from 1917 - 1954.    It is a story of faith, courage, danger and sometimes loss – every bit as important and informative as A.P. Toews’ Book of Russian Martyrs.  In fact, it is through books such as The Jesus Tribe that the story of modern evangelical faith begun in the Martyrs Mirror extends to include the mission stations and missionary works our grandparents considered to be an essential aspect of their daily active faith and church missionary commitment.

    The Jesus Tribe helps to answer many basic questions held by members of these churches such as:  Does this all make any difference?  Why should I support and pray for the missions?  and How can I relate to Christians from other cultures? 

Apologetics and Charisma

   A good Mennonite friend of mine from Buhler, Kansas, posted the attached video onto her Facebook™ Timeline. The video is produced by Matt Slick of CARM ministries and is called Are Roman Catholics Saved?

   Obviously, I have disclosed that I fellowship with a Roman Catholic group on Saturday evenings when in Chicago (no – I am Mennonite, not Catholic).  I fellowship with them because I enjoy the method by which they delve into the scripture readings for the service and because I have found within the Roman Catholic church a continued, obstinate dedication to old Mennonite values such as Communitarianism, Pacifism, Social Outreach, personalism in one’s relationship to Christ, and Grace – especially amongst the orders (Franciscans, Jesuits, Vincentians and the Poor Claire’s).

   Having similarly attended numerous Baptist-oriented services, I have found myself all too often discouraged that while the evangelical Mennonites and certain “Baptist” groups share a commitment to Biblicism and the Evangelical message, that I have left too many of those services feeling that the fruits from that service were negative, judgmental and counter-productive – or just as often, having experienced what I often refer to as Evangelical-lite – meaning that I experienced Truth but was leaving the service still spiritually hungry.  I have found certain Roman Catholic services (or Evangelical Free Services) to be a better mix for my own personal spiritual “character.”   So I am a bit ecumenical by nature.

Vikileaks continue despite Toew's efforts...

Het Bloedig Tooneel fon en Unjasäkjungsjerejcht*

    

Vic Toews and Adam Carroll in Hayez's Before the Inquisition (ca 1830s).

    Vic Toews' story is pertinent to the blog for two reasons -- Vic Toews is of Russlander Mennonite descent and the story is an amazingly predictable illustration of Postmodern digital network lifestyles and a Modernist's attempt to direct and contain the Postmodern... Perhaps a form of Scopes Monkey Trial in the United States which helped delineate the final stages of Modernity overthrowing the last of its pre-Modern or Scholastic Fideistic heritage.

     Appreciable are Toew's dual moralities -- he seems to want to know and publish everything about everyone else, but protect that which embarrasses him.  Also, based on earlier speeches and stances regarding the sanctity of marriage, he is obviously living in a dual morality that excludes his own early personal potential failings or weaknesses while using the reins of government to hold others to a higher legal standard -- as unimpressed Mennonite converts were wont to say in the pre-Reformation -- "give my regards to the priest, and also to the woman who serves as his wife."  (The quote being a gross liberty taken from early Reformation anti-clerical tracts).