The series continues. On June 5th, I began a series in which I asked "What has [fill in the blank] tradition gifted the larger Church?" The one rule was the answers had to be edifying, which twitter people are (mostly). You can find the results of this twitter series on my blog or using the hashtag, #GiftingTheChurch (thanks for the idea Pastor Daniel).

I knew I wanted to hear about the gifts our Mennonite and Quaker brother and sisters offered separately. One of the common tweets I received when I asked what the Mennonite tradition has offered the greater Church was the need to include other anabaptist traditions. I also learned in this series, Quakers don't fit nicely in this category.

When it comes to Church, I have got a lot to learn.

Click here to read Day One - Methodist

Click here to read Day Two - Lutheran

Day Three - Mennonite

• Simplicity and a passion for prayer.

• Discipleship: following the human Jesus, that my life should be disrupted by his words and life.

• Nonresistance (pacifism); their position on peace.

• Reminding us to include Jesus's teaching and actions as the main part of our faith (slipped over in the Apostles' Creed).

• Rejection of the Empire/Caesar-based religion.

• Separation of church and state.

• Sermon on the Mount living.

• Wonderful choral singing - especially 4-part congregational hymns (a capella too)

• Social justice.

• Radical Reformation.

• Red-back hymnal with shape notes.

• Practicing & encouraging alternative forms of service when drafted--Civilian Public Service during WWII, for example https://civilianpublicservice.org. Christian Peacemaker Teams, Menno Voluntary Service, SALT, are off-shoots of this today.

• Mennonite Disaster Service.

• Early missionaries in harsh places.

• Credobaptism (believer's baptism).

• That holiness isn’t simply an internal orientation but demands we step down from professions that require us to exercise lethal force for the state.

• A faith willing to embrace martyrdom.

• A strong emphasis on scripture in community for communal discernment.

• Discipleship is a communal journey.

• Amazing crafts through their gifts.

• Food that really schmecks. Don't miss this classic cookbook.

• Bringing free and fair trade into broader Protestant consciousness.

• Kate Bowler quote from Every Happens For A Reason And Other Lies I've Loved: 

Mennonites are people with the land in their blood and a hopeless obsession with simplicity, frugality, pacifism and Jell-O salads. I'm not Mennonite by birth, but I attended a Mennonite church, a Mennonite Bible camp, and a Mennonite wedding-my own.

Can I add these two memoirs offering insight into growing up mennonite. Just for fun?

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress & Mennonite Meets Mr. Right