Why I wish I were a Mennonite
Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
by Aaron Taylor
Aaron Taylor
My name is Aaron D. Taylor and I’m a charismatic Christian. If you ever see me driving with my glasses on, I may look dignified, but don’t let my appearance fool you. Throughout my life I’ve been slain in the Spirit and drunk in the Holy Ghost on numerous occasions. I’ve felt the anointing, laid hands on the sick, cast out devils, and been prophesied over countless times. It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable in my Pentecostal/charismatic skin, but I can honestly say today that I wouldn’t trade my Pentecostal/charismatic heritage for anything. I’ll admit it’s been a very long time since I’ve “shaken under the power" or “danced in the Spirit", but to this day I pray in tongues, lay hands on the sick, and if I ever need to get the devil off my back, I’ll gladly pull out the “Sword of the Spirit" and start quoting Scripture. We Pentecostals and charismatics have a lot to be proud of. We were a miniscule, lower class fringe movement 100 years ago and now there are over 600 million of us around the world!
As a charismatic, I never heard terms like “revolutionary subordination" or “civil disobedience" spoken in church. I knew that racism was a sin except for when it came to Palestinians. My list of sins never included sexism. It never occurred to me that following Jesus might include making sure that whatever investments I had in the stock market didn’t go to weapons manufacturers or companies with sweat shops in Indonesia. Bearing the cross meant everything from giving up lust and smoking to bearing annoying in-laws gracefully, but the one thing it never meant was following Jesus in the path of non-violence. Imitating Christ meant performing miracles, never once did it mean identifying with the poor and the oppressed like the civil rights activists did in the 1960’s. It never once occurred to me that a Christian killing another Christian in battle might be a violation of the principle that loyalty to the body of Christ transcends national loyalties. Had someone suggested to me a few years ago that a Christian dropping a bomb on a defenseless village in Afghanistan is a contradiction of the number one priority of the church—saving souls—I would have looked at the person like they just arrived from Mars.
I wish I were a Mennonite because now that I realize that a Christian can’t call Jesus Lord without doing what He says (Luke 6:46) and at least attempting to walk as He walked (I John 2:6), I can’t for the life of me figure out why so many of my Pentecostal/charismatic friends have never considered the fact that Jesus never once made the distinction between personal enemies and national enemies. If I were a Mennonite, I’d be able to mix freely with those who don’t twist Romans 13:1-4 to mean that a Christian can kill with impunity as long as he or she is an agent of the state—and the person deserved to be killed. I wouldn’t have to make the case to friends and family that these four verses are sandwiched between two passages that state unequivocally that Christians are never to repay evil for evil and that love is the fulfillment of the law. I wouldn’t have to feel ostracized for pointing out the obvious that Jesus—not Rambo—is the only standard of love by which a Christian is called to imitate.
Yes, I think there are a few things that Pentecostals and charismatics could teach Mennonites—and the broader evangelical world—as well. Much of the evangelical world views Scripture as a set of propositional truths; whereas Pentecostals and charismatics tend to view the Bible as a living document infused with spiritual power. Pentecostalism is great at presenting a holistic view of God as ready and willing to meet individual felt needs. This along with our supernatural worldview explains why Pentecostalism overrules liberation theology in Africa and Latin America. But as long as we’re measuring who has more to teach the other, I’m going to have to say that the world’s 600 million Pentecostals have a lot more to learn from the 1 million Mennonites than the other way around. As much as it saddens me to say this, when my secular friends ask me to point them to a version of Christianity that actually looks like Jesus, until we in the Pentecostal/charismatic world get our act together, I’m going to have to point them to the Mennonites. Should the two traditions decide to merge in the near future, I think it would produce the most incredible spiritual and social transformation the world has ever seen. For the love of God, the Church, and a world desperate for change, I sincerely pray that day comes sooner rather than later.
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More commentsWhat do you mean racism is a sin except when it comes to palestinians?I think Aaron was being facetious. Sometimes Americans act as though racism is always wrong except when it comes to the Palestinian race, but this is obviously not true.
Arron, Thanks for speaking such truths. We Christians need to stand up and be accountable for how we use the word of God for what is most convenient instead of how God intended. I love how pointed these obvious differences out. Jesus never intended there to be denominations--only the body of Christ with him as the head. Man messed with it long ago and in our individual desires and attitudes we add to it. Forgives Lord Jesus! Happy Birthday--you , you Pentaminite, from this bapticostal :-)
Thank you Teresa. I concur. In answer to your question Lloyd, what I mean is in pentecostal/charismatic circles, Palestinians are viewed as racially inferior to Jews and are therefore unworthy of land and property rights. While this is never stated explicitly, you won't find too many pentecostals and charismatics protesting Israeli land seizures and home demolitions done for the sole purpose of expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Quite the contrary, some groups even go so far as financing the settlements.Hi Aaron, I thought you were being sarcastic. I learned something new today. I had no idea that this was a unspoken believe in the Pentacostal circles. I know this answer was for Lloyd, but I appreciate it. Interesting.
Interesting article Aaron. As you know, Jean and I are former Mennonites, and charismatics. When our kids started getting older, we decided that we needed to be in a more stable place which adhered to a more sound doctrine, so we joined the Baptists.
For the most part, it's been great for our kids, but frankly we are getting turned off by all the "God and Country" talk. I mean, come on, shouldn't it be, "God, and nothing else"? I have yet to find anything in the Bible that implies that Christians should be patriotic. If our country does something bad, should we not be ashamed of our country?
I suppose as I get older I find myself longing for my conservative roots... not Republican roots, my generation is the first generation in my lineage to vote and otherwise participate in politics. I need to stop talking about doing the will of God and start doing the will of God.
Did you know that the Bible very plainly states what "pure and perfect religion" is? I've asked dozens, possibly hundereds of people over the years if they were aware of this, and so far only one person that I've asked has ever known what I was talking about. If Christians are told plainly what pure and perfect religion is, shouldn't we at least be aware of what that is? Even more, shouldn't we be practicing it?
Sorry for the rant, I'll get back to work now...Hi Bruce, how ya doing? So sorry to but in here, I know you were talking to Aaron, but I couldn't help but get excited about your last question "do you know that the Bible plainly states what pure and pefect religion is?" Ah!! You speak of James 1:27, and I am so happy!! Thanks for pointing that out. I usually rant about denominational stuff-but this, you nailed it! Thanks. I really pray as Jesus prayed that we would all be one even as He is one with His Father. I was just thinkin' after I read this article "which denomination thinks they will get to sit in the front row in heaven?" hmmm, Sounds like an article to me :-)Hey Teresa... you know I spent almost a month making it so that people could comment on other peoples' comments and rarely does anyone ever use it! What a disappointment :(
Ok, so you're person #2 to be able to answer my simple question. Or at least you know where to find the answer.
So what does it mean to "look after widows and orphans" in the 21st century? Are we doing it? The odd thing is that I suspect that anyone really practicing this isn't in church on Sunday mornings. Kind of like that t-shirt that I saw that said on the front, "Don't Go to Church" and on back it said, "Be the Church".
I'm looking forward to that next article, Teresa!
Hi Bruce, I think your hard work will pay off..eventually :-) As more and more people see it used, it will happen. I love that t-shirt! I have been thinking alot about how to say it and what to say. I'll be praying...hopefully it will be a worthy article.
Aaron, Wonderful article! I am proud to say that my family history is of the Mennonite religion. The Krehbiel's migrated from Germany to Springfield, Illinois and finally settled in McPherson County Kansas. I was inspired by a religious preacher named Christian Krehbiel who wrote a book about the Mennonite experience. I was stimulated by him to start my own writing career. I am touched by this article and thank you for putting it to pen.
Hi Aaron, good article. I'm a closet Pentecostal who likes the way you write! Your article gives us a lot to contemplate. Keep writing, you've stirred up more comments on your piece than I've seen in quite some time. Bob
I totally loved this article. I am a Pentecostal ex-patriot. These days I attend a contemporary Baptist church. I am comfortable enough. I really looked hard and long. Many traditional and nontraditional Pentecostal/Charismatic churches made me remember a cartoon I saw published by Jesus People USA. (You probably have no idea) The cartoon was a picture of a very radical antiabortion rally complete with signs and bull horns, Baby Killer! Murderer! etc. One of two Christians passing by said to the other,"Why is it I no longer like the people I agree with?
I grew up in the church. I was the P.K. and fully lived up to all the negatives. I migrated into a shepherding church which evolved into a "Word Faith Church" with massive shepherding oversight. Battered and wounded I returned to my first true love and remained faithful to alcohol and drugs for fifteen years.
It has been a long painful road home, sober these thirteen years by the grace of God and the company I keep. Would I have been successful as a Mennonite? God knows and chose. Perhaps he will someday tell me perhaps not. I no longer care. The past is gone forever. Tomorrow but a dream.
Thank you for your comment. Actually. I do know who the Jesus People USA are. They put together the Cornerstone Music festival every year. Anyways, loved your story. I still consider myself a Pentecostal, howbeit a Pentecostal that admires a lot about the Mennonites.
Thanks Aaron for this article. I am like you a Penecostal who wishes I were a Mennonite. I recently took a "what denomination are you" quiz that said I am 100% Mennonite. I then researched the Mennonite faith and found out the quiz was very accurate. I have been having problems with some of the beliefs in my denomination (Assembly of God) namely the nationalism is next to Godliness attitude. I'm not planning on changing my denominational affiliation anytime soon but I've had a lot to think about lately, especially because I have three children that I want to have Jesus' worldview. The Church of God which is penecostal and has close ties with Assembly of God has met with national members of the Mennonite denomination and realized that they have many similarities and want to work together and learn from each other. This is something I read online recently. Anyway, I write as well but I joined this group because of your article. Kudos.
Thank you for your comment. I'm considering joining a Mennonite church myself. You may be interested in my new book "Alone with a Jihadist:A Biblical Response to Holy War." It chronicles my progression to this way of thinking.
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