This past few days I have seen God work in ways that I have longed to see for many, many years. On Friday, one of the young men in our youth group had his faith renewed and received the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday he went with a team of people to pray for our community and received a clear call and path to find and pray for a young man walking along the road and helped lead this young man to say yes to Jesus. Some friends of mine whose son has struggled with allergies and eczema received miraculous healing through the prayer of faith.  Yesterday, I was able to be a part of a team that was uniquely equipped to care for a sweet Christian lady who is experiencing intense pain and loneliness. These are just some of the stories of some of the people I know. Hundreds more are daily experiencing these divine appointments and healings in their workplaces and through intentional prayer in the community. People are seeing visions of God's favor and blessing resting on this community.

God is at work. Revival is happening in Northern Indiana. In this revival, we are seeing "fruit in keeping with repentance." We are seeing not just the sorrow of letting go of things of the past, but also the joy of new life and witness. We are not just seeing people who embrace the boldness of sharing faith with words, but people who are also sharing life and sacrificing on behalf of others. We are seeing not just conversion stories, but intentional follow up and walking together as disciples of Christ. We are not just seeing people from one background, congregation, or age, but people from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. 

This movement is not the movement of  people who do everything right, who carefully plan their way forward. It is a movement of courage and challenge and mistakes. It is a movement in which we brush up against the denominational preferences of others and they rub us the wrong way. It is a movement in which cultures clash and our language is clumsy. It is a movement which will frighten some, anger some, and create barricades. But in the midst of this movement is the power of God at work to transform and do something new. 

We will see a backlash, a renewed effort to assign labels meant to discredit what is happening. But at its heart there is a simple return to the power of Christ's living presence and the desire to fully yield one's life in His service. I am ready and willing to serve.

Some of the numbers: Since a week ago, several hundred are going out each day in teams and praying for the community. The number gathered for worship each evening has been growing and is currently around 2,000. The intention is to continue doing this for a total of 52 days. 
-John M Troyer

In the book of Revelation, John is given a vision of what God is doing in the world. It begins with warnings and affirmations for seven churches. How do our churches in North America measure up today? Here are the 19 characteristics of the churches of Jesus Christ

1. Deeds, hard work, perseverance, endurance of hardship
2. An intolerance for wicked people, testing leaders and not being afraid to name them as false teachers.
3. An openness to poverty and suffering.
4. Faithfulness in the face of blasphemy.
5. Loyalty in a satanic, occultic place
6. Not tolerating leaders who teach that sexual sin is okay and participate in idolatry
7. Constant improvement.
8. Trusting God to judge and to work at identifying the intentions of the heart in those in leadership.
9. Keeping the simple teachings and rejecting those who try to teach "deeper truths" (which are really of satanic origin)
10. Difficult obedience which results in great authority.
11. Holding on to what was given.
12. Maintaining its first love for God.
13. Hating the leaders who lord over others, and loving those who serve.
14. Strengthening the inner life.
15. Repenting of wrong, strengthening what is good.
16. Being useful
17. Not counting on acquired wealth.
18. Opening the door for the living presence of Christ
19. Listening to the voice of the Spirit

These 19 things are a powerful reminder of how self-serving we have become in North America. May God help us repent and receive new life.
-John M Troyer

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Yesterday the Supreme Court chose not to review an appellate court's ruling that struck down the law that only recognized opposite-sex marriage in Indiana. That's where I live and I've been thinking about what that means for those who are united with Jesus Christ.

Back in the early '90's, I remember the disappointment of conservative Christians because Disney made a number of public changes in support of LGBTQ individuals. I remember at the the time that I was unable to understand the disappointment. There were plenty of others places in culture that were making similar changes, but why was Disney such a focus? I realized that it was because many Christians thought Disney was "theirs," a safe place for entertainment for their children.

Having grown up Amish Mennonite, Disney had always been seen as a part of the degenerate culture for many reasons. We didn't have television or radio in our home. I had a very clear sense growing up that I was called to live separately from our broader culture, and everything beyond our small community should be treated with mistrust and critiqued. Life has changed a bit for me since then, but I continue to carry with me a suspicion of what is happening in the broader culture.

We are united with Jesus Christ. Christians have been at their worst throughout history when they've used government policies to make people be good. We've been at our best when we sacrifice, live as alternatives at the edge of society, when we live into the story we are given by God rather than reacting to a story we think is being imposed upon us.  We are called to be a counter-culture and to live it with joy. We are a nation that has incredible freedom. Our most cherished freedom, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, is a freedom that can never be taken away. 

When we get focused on laws and rights, we lose our saltiness. Our identity is compromised in the midst of the battle, and the fruits of the Spirit in our own lives are the first casualty. Perhaps Christians will look more carefully at other areas where we have compromised and been taken in by cultural values that conflict with Christian virtue. Materialism, the way we value and raise our children, and our food addictions are all problems that need to be addressed. Christians are called to live joyfully into an alternative that is empowered by the Spirit of God within. The ending to our story has already been written in the book of Revelation. We can move full speed ahead with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control that God has already given us. We are a counter-culture, we are not American citizens first. We are citizens of the upside-down kingdom.
-John M Troyer

Does the resurrection matter to you? At Clinton Frame we are going through The Story, a sequential overview of the Bible. This coming Sunday I will be preaching on the chapter telling of Jesus' resurrection and the Great Commission.  

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As Mennonites, we haven't been known for our willingness to talk about our faith, much less share it with those who don't know God. We sometimes prefer to follow the old saying, "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." Although it is commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, there is no record of him having said it and it is unlikely that he would have felt that way. A man who would go from village to village and preach up to five times a days was not someone who was afraid to use too many words. This saying is also inconsistent with Jesus' mandate that we share our faith.

While it is important that our actions are consistent with our words, the words we speak also matter. Why don't we talk about our faith more? I think the main reason we can't talk about how Jesus changed our lives is because we're not really sure how Jesus changed our lives. We give intellectual assent to a belief system, but we credit our culture and upbringing for our good behavior. At the end of the day, we think we excel on our own at sin management. It's hard to tell people how to find hope and transformation when we think our own transformation is the result of years of hard work and discipline. In the end, we're not sure what the good news really is, so we focus on a personal relationship with Jesus and the hope of heaven after we die. And others of us react to the personalized salvation message and focus on the structural justice issues that need to be changed in society. Neither approach deals with the inner spiritual life change that results in transformation, growth, and radical discipleship.  This discipleship is a unity with Christ that reveals the fruit of the Spirit within us and an active, engaging love with the brokenness of the world.

Our culture and background and theology will not save us. Nor is it the Gospel to others. Our only hope is a life of discipleship with the living, risen Christ who changes us from the inside out. If we truly experience that, we will not be left wanting for either words or actions. Preach the Gospel at all times. It's necessary, with both words and actions.
-John M Troyer

This morning I didn't feel that great. I ate too much at the Relief Sale, stayed up too late, and didn't sleep well.  It's in these moments the challenge of faithfulness is most critical. But how I feel is really the small thing. The critical time for faithfulness is when we are attacked for what we believe.  Sometimes, when we make a home with people, believing we are on the same journey.  

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:29-31 NIV)

We should not be afraid to leave spiritual homes for the sake of the gospel when it becomes clear that our journey must go in a new direction. Jesus gives a very clear promise that we will receive a hundredfold blessing in a new home, even now, in this life.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38 NIV)

Jesus called us to holiness and to stand for holiness. The world around us celebrates adultery and sin, sometimes even people we thought were faithful followers of Christ. In those circumstances, speak humbly for holiness. Draw on God's power and grace to keep your soul intact in God's kingdom, even when the flesh is weak. God will bless you with a new home if you need one.
-John M Troyer

Normally I sit in a recliner to pray.  This morning I felt God prompting me to kneel.  So I did. 

This is what I sensed God saying: "This is where it starts. When you are on your knees, I lift you to the places I need you to go. When you start out confident and strong, you struggle to let me in to guide you."

Humiliation has a negative connotation and we fight it. But most transformations in nature come out of humiliation.  The seed must be buried in the ground to bring new life. The caterpillar must go into the cocoon to become a butterfly. The tree loses its leaves in the fall and becomes new and fresh in the spring.  There are echoes of scripture in all of these metaphors of humiliation.

There's a beautiful passage that is often called the humiliation of Christ. Allow these words to sink deep into your soul as you read them.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death--
        even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, NIV)


Made nothing.  It's a great place to start.
-John M Troyer

Today I pray for Mennonite Church USA Executive Board as they make decisions about the future of the church. We are at a critical point, not only in decisions about sexuality, but in decisions about racial and ethnic diversity in the church. We cannot have it both ways. If we decide we must make space to affirm the modern sexual practices of the western world, we will lose a vast majority of our racial/ethnic participants in Mennonite Church USA.  If we decide to further diversify in our theology and ethics, we are sending a clear signal that we are a Swiss-German ethnic group that is primarily concerned about keeping our biological sons and daughters even if we need to abandon our historic beliefs.

Iglesia Menonita Hispana (IMH), the organization of Spanish-speaking congregations in Mennonite Church USA, met last summer and gave a clear word to the denomination.  

Here is the link to the story in Spanish and I quote here the relevant section.

Muchos pastores mostraron indignación ante lo que está pasando en la denominación, a tal profundidad que expresaron salir de la Iglesia Menonita USA, si se llega a la aceptación del homosexualismo como estilo de vida cristiano.

Here is an automated translation from Google Translate and here is the quote in English (I did some cleaning up of the automated Google translation).

Many pastors expressed outrage at what is happening in the denomination, so deep that they would leave Mennonite Church USA if it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality as a Christian lifestyle. 

That's an important statement, a statement that deserves to be heard across the church. This is not the voice of an extreme group that sits at the edge of the church. It is from a gathering that represents our Hispanic congregations. Will the Executive Board make decisions that further alienate Hispanic congregations and other racial/ethnic groups?  Will Mennonite Church USA go down a path that alienates almost all of its members who are not of Swiss-German descent? Will leaders reject the counsel of Mennonites and Anabaptists in South America, Africa, and Asia? 

We have paid a great price in our acquiescence to those who want to bless greater sexual license. They seek the blessing of the church for sexual expressions that are contradicted by Scripture and our Confession of Faith.  It is time to stop acquiescing. It will lead to a monochromatic denomination.
-John M Troyer

UPDATE 10/1/2014 - A letter from Iglesia Menonita Hispana to denominational leaders is now posted. I'm including the full text below

In Mark 9:38-39, the disciple John objects that someone outside their group is using Jesus’ name to cast out demons.  Jesus tells John to leave them alone and not tell them to stop. But Jesus also did not seek to merge his ministry with theirs and join forces with them.  He simply said don’t stop it and we’ll see what good comes out of it. Perhaps this model provides a way forward for Mennonite Church USA.  

As someone who wants to be part of a denomination that remains publicly and essentially committed to only affirming marriage as the union between a man and a woman for life, I am interested in hearing more from those who are advocating unity amidst diversity around our understanding of marriage.  There are significant hurdles to overcome for that kind of unity.

I grew up in an Amish Mennonite home.  When I became an adult, I was the most “liberal” of my siblings.  If my siblings and I had decided to do the kinds of things together that denominations do, our relationships would have been fractured and broken.  However, we did not.  We had great family gatherings and I had to make a decision if I wanted to maintain these relationships. I chose to respect my siblings and not impose my perspective on their children. We remained family even as we had separate households and different views about living the Christian life.  I knew the damage it would do to the relationship if I decided to go on the offensive to try to convert them to my perspective.  There were also times I spoke up because of what I consider justice issues, but I recognized and accepted that the relationship would be affected and gave space accordingly.  

In Mennonite Church USA, there are a number of ways we are quite far apart.  At the same time, we need not try to stop each other from taking different paths if these differences cannot be overcome.

Opposing views of justice.  Our opposing views of the nature of God’s shalom pull us in very different directions.  One perspective gives greater weight to internal desire and orientation, the other places greater emphasis on costly discipleship and openness to transformation.  These are not just about a disagreement about how grace should be given, it is about what the church blesses and affirms as good and holy.  

The use of subterfuge and protest.  With the embrace of social activism within the church, the way we do church together has significantly changed.  As I understand it from those who affirm same-sex marriage, they believe that damage is done to those who identify as LGBTQ by the official teaching of the church and that certain actions are morally necessary to aid in the rescue of young people from their more conservative parents and churches.  This includes the presence of quiet allies who use their positions of leadership in churches and institutions to subvert the values the organization claims to hold. It means that official church events are marked by demonstrations and sing-ins and protests. It means that church leaders on the left publicly use labels like ignorant, homophobic, extremist, and hate-filled to describe those who disagree.  And as I've said before, it means that there are professors in our colleges that are committed to creating classroom and campus environments that are openly hostile to the church’s perspective on marriage. While I understand the impetus and the beliefs that drive this perspective, I also see the damage it does to relationships.  I recognize that those who affirm gay marriage have also experienced harmful ways of relating from people who disagree with them.  Without resorting to blaming or deciding which side has done the most wrong, the point is that relationships have been characterized by actions that do not convey a commitment to integrity, honesty, and true dialogue.

The need for well-defined leaders.  Edwin Friedman, in A Failure of Nerve, articulates the nature of the challenge we are facing in our culture and leadership.  The culture wars have made taking a well-defined stand something that comes at great cost.  As a result, leaders can easily focus on the managing competing interests rather helping clarify and even amplify the perspective of the organization.  From a systems perspective, the abandonment of this role enlarges the voices on the edge and provides no opportunity for the community to rally around the voice of the gathered community. As Mennonites, we hold tightly to the ideal that we can regulate toxic voices through reasonableness and consensus, but are less willing to face the reality that sometimes things will still break apart anyway. We try to hold everything together for too long and allow too much irreparable damage to be done. We become caught up in the mess of managing competing interests rather than drumming up the nerve to clearly articulate a vision for moving forward, a vision that is not just about the process or celebrating diversity.

The changing meaning of Mennonite. In my community in Goshen, there seems to be a tight marriage of the political left and many of our Mennonite leaders. As a result, the word Mennonite has changed significantly for those in our community. The nuances of how we understand our commitment to peace, our perspective on a larger government role, our commitment to the unborn, and our thoughts about affirming same-sex marriage are some of these shifts. This is not the way most Anabaptists or Mennonites would understand their self-identity around the world.

We are called to be family, in the best sense of the word. Family is not the same as institutional loyalty or maintaining households together. We have not really been one denomination even after we merged, and perhaps the battle to keep us all together is the wrong path.

Our church agencies and schools cannot continue to try to straddle the fence and have the public relations office communicate one perspective while hiring policies, campus environment, and key leaders carry a different perspective. I am hopeful there can be a commitment to openness and honesty. If agencies and schools want to serve all the parts of the church, the current way of doing that is not adequate and does not honor our long-standing belief in Jesus’ challenge to speak simply and without duplicity.

We need leaders who will either help us overcome the hurdles above or help us separate well. This should be done in ways that are respectful of diverse viewpoints and seek out the best in the other. We need leaders who help us live into what we perceive as our strengths and calling. Rather than trying to stop each other, let’s release each other, fully and completely, even if that means branching out in separate directions.
-John M Troyer