Roll Over Menno

In a new Menno Weekly article called Author Connects Anabaptist and Emergent Movements, Brian McLaren says the following:

“There are increasing numbers of Muslim followers of Jesus and Hindu followers of Jesus, and they do not want to be identified with the Christian religion,” McLaren said.

The distinction is clear when he considers early Anabaptists.

“By refusing to be baptized as infants, they were, in a way, opting out of being affiliated with the Christian religion even if it meant they would be misunderstood and killed and persecuted,” McLaren said. “It was a sign of radical identification as followers of Jesus.”

What sort of twisted truth is this? A born again believer in Jesus that wants to remain Buddhist or Hindu? One might ask Mr. McLaren which Bible he is reading that backs up this theory. As far as the early Anabaptists were concerned, they wanted to be affiliated with true Christianity, thereby rejecting their affiliation with the false religion of Roman Catholicism.

The article also talks about a new Anabaptist movement called Submergent:

“A group of Anabaptists and Emergent leaders have formed a network called Submergent to share ideas. Congregations in several U.S. cities, as well as Perth, Australia, are calling themselves Submerged Communities.”

According to the Submergent website (http://www.submergent.org/), “the name “submergent” reflects the essence of two movements–one that is 500 years old and one that is only just emerging.”

Ancient and new? Would this have anything to do with ancient future heresies? If Brian McLaren and the emerging church have anything to do with this, it most likely does.

Brian McLaren’s “Everything Must Change Tour” will conclude his 11-city tour at Goshen College, May 9-10.

Dear Mennonites, please put your armour on and be on the look out for that which is ’submergent’ and ‘changing,’ and remember that the Bible says in Malachi 3 - “For I am the LORD, I change not”.

Recommended ROM reading:

Lessen focus on eternity, McLaren says at Willow Creek student ministries conference
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=27867&ref=BPNews-RSSFeed0418

Kindred Productions is a ministry of the Mennonite Brethren Churches in North America for both the Canadian Conference and the US Conference. One of the recommended resources for youth by Kindred Productions is Nooma by Rob Bell (see here).

Many Christian parents are very concerned about Rob Bell’s influence in church youth groups. Especially after the recent interfaith gathering this month in Seattle, Washington, called Seeds of Compassion where Rob Bell shared the stage with the Dalai Lama. His comments may be viewed at this link:

Rob Bell’s Comments at Seeds of Compassion
http://youthministries.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/rob-bells-comments-at-seeds-of-compassion/

Other Mennonite organizations that promote Rob Bell are the following:

Summer 2008 Reading Lists for Eastern Mennonite Seminary
http://www.emu.edu/seminary/courses/syllabi.htm
“Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality” by Rob Bell

Mennonite Church Canada
Resource Centre
http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre

There are also countless Mennonite churches who have purchased the Nooma series for their youth groups, such as Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church, for example, in Ontario, Canada (see here).

These are only examples, as there is not enough time or space to list them all on ROM. There is no denying the fact that Rob Bell is very popular in Mennonite churches. Parents have every right to be very concerned about what their teenagers are watching and learning under the direction of their youth pastors (who seem to find it more convenient to pop in a top selling DVD than to study and teach from the Bible).

Much more information can be found about Rob Bell and his teachings on the links below:

Rob Bell, Mars Hill and Velvet Elvis—Repainting the Christian Faith
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/robbell.htm

Rob Bell’s Abstract “Elvis” - A Critique of Velvet Elvis
by Pastor Bob DeWaay,
http://www.crossroad.to/Excerpts/biblical-teaching/DeWaay/bell-elvis.htm

Roll Over Menno would like to draw attention to the following Christian Post article:

What Divides Catholics and Protestants?
As Pope Benedict XVI continues with his highly publicized visit to the United States, some may wonder what the major differences are between Catholicism and Protestantism – the two main Christian bodies in the world.

Perhaps the biggest difference is their views on the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. Traditionally, Protestants believe that the Bible alone is sufficient in teaching man all that is necessary for salvation from sin, and contains the standard in which Christians should measure their behavior.

Catholics, however, do not believe that the Bible alone is enough, and instead hold that the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic traditions are equal in authority, as noted by Got Questions Ministries, which provides biblically-based answers on spiritually-related questions in its Web site, GotQuestions.org….

The entire article explaining the rest of these differences may be read at this link:
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080418/32006_What_Divides_Catholics_and_Protestants%3f.htm

Menno Simons, a former Roman Catholic priest himself, knew about these dividing doctrines very well, and wrote the following of the beliefs of the Roman Catholic church:

“we must adhere to and obey the pope and his church, hear mass, receive the holy water, perform pilgrimages, call upon the mother of the Lord, and the departed saints, confess at least twice a year, receive papistic absolution, have our children baptized, and commemorate the holy days. The priests must vow chastity; the bread in the mass, must be called the flesh, and the wine, the blood of Christ; besides all their other idolatry and abominations, which are daily practiced by them.

And all this is called, by these poor, ignorant people, the most holy christian faith, and the institution of the holy christian church. Although it is nothing but mere human opinion, self chosen righteousness, seductive hypocrisy, manifest deception of the soul, ungodly, indecent bodily nourishment and gain of lazy priests, an accursed abomination, an incensing of God, a disgraceful blasphemy, an unworthy despising of the blood of Christ, a self devised undertaking, and a disobedient, contumacy to the divine word. In short, a false, offensive, divine worship, and open idolatry, of which Jesus Christ (to whom the Father points us) has not left or commanded us a single letter of all these things.”

-Menno Simons, The Papistic Belief
http://www.e-menno.org/menno/menno029.htm

Of transubstantiation, the RC belief that the bread and wine of the Eucharist literally turn into Christ’s flesh and blood, he wrote this:

“O dear Lord! is this not an ungodly error, and great blindness, to teach and to believe, that a piece of bread, and a drink of wine should be changed into the real and essential flesh and blood of the Son of God, whereby we may be delivered from hell, the devil, sin and death, and are made children of grace? O, horrible heresy!”

-Menno Simons, The Corruption of the Holy Supper
http://www.e-menno.org/menno/menno015.htm

The differences mentioned in the Christian Post article that divide Catholics and Protestants are the same differences that divide Catholics and Mennonites. Even so, as many previous articles on Roll Over Menno have indicated, there are many Mennonites who are attracted and even returning to Roman Catholicism. The bridges that are helping these Mennonites cross back over the doctrinal divide are contemplative retreats, spiritual direction and spiritual formation courses.

Another example is the Bridgefolk (http://www.bridgefolk.net/), which is:

“a movement of sacramentally-minded Mennonites and peace-minded Roman Catholics who come together to celebrate each other’s traditions, explore each other’s practices, and honor each other’s contribution to the mission of Christ’s Church. Together we seek better ways to embody a commitment to both traditions.”

What divides Catholics and Mennonites today is a very attractive stained glass covered bridge over a muddy stream. It is paved with mosaics and lined with candles, icons and statues. What would Menno say, if he were alive today, of the Mennonites who are walking over that bridge to the other side?

ROM Index: high

To learn about other bridges to Rome click on this link.