In short, I agree with most of your points, although our interpretation on some of the details of what those points mean for us today might be a bit different. More later.

That way YAR can rest for a moment from my rantings.
Steve K

* their “just do it” attitude; once they understood about baptism of adults and a community of committed believers, already having understood “priesthood of all believers” – they said, let’s do it, this evening, now!
* the Bible has to be interpreted in community, and the understanding tested by the measure of Christ (way cool!)
* taking seriously the separation from powers that be in the world; the Catholics married power in the 4th century, the Protestants (save for a few flutters) remained married to it, but the Anabaptist rebels saw it for what it is, and firmly said no; this is why Anabaptism still has relevance IMHO
* their understanding that salvation is a gift of God, but that if it’s not lived, the gift has not yet been received (by their fruits ye shall know them)
* baptism ought to be the recognition of one’s rebirth, after the fruits become apparent
* practice is far more important that abstract theology
* the focus not on building institutions, but on building community

And you?

I agree with you completely that Mennonites could do well to learn more from the early Anabaptists. I just recently finished Marpeck: A Life of Dissent and Conformity and I hope to post a review here soon. It gives a fascinating insight into the first 50 years of Anabaptism in Europe. I learned a lot about what the Anabaptist way was from this book.

Too often, Mennonites view the early Anabaptists as a quaint historical figures rather then a group that has relevance to our lives today.

I’d be interested to hear more about what specifically you’ve drawn from your study of the early Anabaptists that you think Mennonites today could learn from. You’ve outlined your views that the age of baptism is too young. What else do you see in the early Anabaptists that we could learn from?

Recently, I read that in MCUSA some kids get baptized at 14. And the more I think about it the angrier I get. The early believers died horrible deaths so that they could baptize in adulthood, in order to create a committed community. But their descendants just, oh well, tossed it by the wayside. Who the heck made such decisions? Why did people tolerate it? Did they just say to themselves, oh, those early zealots, they are just an embarrassment to us progressive people. Adult baptism no longer matters in the modern world. SAY WHAT?! It’s like trampling those early martyrs in the dust. If anything mattered to them, that did. And they followed Christ’s example. If you throw THIS overboard as dead weight, why should ANYTHING matter?

This is so painful to me. I have been thinking that I have discovered in the Anabaptist way a group of kindred humans who actually followed the Christian path with honesty and dedication, LIVING rather than drowning in theological disputations or other nonsense. Instead, I see a large group of people who – in my understanding – have no right to call themselves Anabaptists. If you just want to go to church on Sundays to feel good about yourself, if you want to be a lukewarm do-gooder serving in the soup kitchens of Babylon, why pick this church? Inertia?

You scorn and ridicule the Old Orders who in fact are still living the way. They may be wrong about some of what they do, and their leadership may be too heavy handed sometimes. They may dwell on details that make little sense to the rational people of today. But they have one big thing going for them. They LIVE what they believe. They still walk the path blazed by their Anabaptist forebears, and walk it with great dedication. You have instead placed your bet on modernity, and guess what? Modernity has turned out to be a cruel joke. The world it created is cracking at the seams. Where the heck are you headed? Have you looked about you lately?!

My first question is… which church do you mean? MCUSA or the Anabaptist Way (wherever its pilgrims may be found)?

My second question is… is MCUSA (the organization) part of the Kingdom of God or part of Babylon?

I have this fantasy. Grebel and buddies are sitting around, wondering about a good name for their group. How about Brethren Church SWITZERLAND?, someone suggests. Oooh, wait, someone else jumps in. Listen to this: Brethren Church HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE! Quite a powerful ring to it, eh?

As if. ;-)

Regarding Anabaptist Way, I don’t see it needing reform. All it needs for each new generation, each new pilgrim, to restoke the fire, make it blaze!

And yes, I do join in asking, what radical changes do you want?

I’m plenty angry and have been outraged for years, but that in and of itself doesn’t seem to change much except my own personal blood pressure.

No, few want to live the lives of martyrdom anymore, which is what Jesus was literally talking about when he said “Take up my cross and follow me”

Now that comment is going to draw some attention, I bet.

But that aside, there is much worth reflecting on in this post. I know there are individuals who are doing exactly what you talk about, imagine if the whole church would do the same?!