Essays for King Jesus

Peter Eby did much for the health of the Mennonite church in the 1800’s. Merle Weaver tells the story of Peter’s life with special attention to his pastoral work and spiritual life. We can learn much from this leader who ministered in a strikingly different historical context from our own.

Practical crucifixion is not separate from practically putting on Christ. Within the larger context of beholding Christ and the work of the Spirit our actions help orient us to what is true and good.

During World War 1, opposing soldiers called a battlefront truce on Christmas Eve. Ben Metzler asks us to think about what this reveals. They knew the Prince of Peace should bring peace. Do we? Or do we buy into the hostilities around us?

Scripture describes baptized believers as “dead” with a life that is “hidden with Christ.” Marlin Sommers explores the contrasts of this joyful “death-life.” What does it look like when we put on Christ and put off the old human?

Anabaptists have been known for their refusal to use the power of the state to accomplish Christian goals. Dan Ziegler warns that Anabaptists on both the left and the right are losing this commitment. He calls us back to a biblical understanding of the two kingdoms for the sake of the church and her ministry. 

When we are young life is filled with ambitions, dreams, and possibilities, but life happens and we easily become cynical. Merle Burkholder gives practical steps and challenges us to become people who do the work God has given us to do.Read the essay and comment at https://anabaptistperspectives.org/essays/how-passionate-25-year-olds-become-fruitful-45-year-olds/

Do medical "sharing plans" give an example of bearing one another's burdens or do they make us self-sufficient and individualistic? Marlin Sommers argues they are an economic tool distinct from brotherly aid. He challenges us to share to address actual needs and to pool our resources to support ambitions Christian teaching. https://anabaptistperspectives.org/sharing-plans-cannot-replace-brotherly-aid

Conscience made Adam and Eve hide from God. Fred Wiebe explores the way we all experience this separation due to sin and God’s solution to bring us from shame and guilt to joy and belonging as children of God. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers, and he is the hero we attentively model ourselves after.

Each of us do and say things because of the culture we grew up in. Is that wrong? No. However, we as God’s children need to look beyond our culture and try to look through other cultures’ glasses. God is not bound to culture, and all of us can be thankful that the Bible is not culturally bound. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We need to offer the gospel to the world. We need to offer the gospel without contaminating it with our own culture. We need to offer truth that will inform, confront, and change every culture. There is nothing wrong with our culture as long as we do not make it the gospel. The gospel will change individuals, and it will change entire cultures. 

Roseanne’s experiences challenge each of us to be the Good Samaritan to others even when it is hard. Jesus showers love and mercy on us even when we are unlovely; we as His children should do the same. Essay originally published 08/2020. Subscribe to receive new essays by email!

God delights to pardon and save. He delights to bring life from death. But we are sometimes tempted to mock God and to think that we can claim the benefits of pardon while opting out of God’s plan to free us from the actual grip of sin.  

In this first essay of a 3-part series, Roseanne Bauman speaks from her personal experience about teaching an ethnically diverse group of students. While Roseanne was the teacher, she quickly realized that she was also a student. In this post, you will read about the many valuable lessons that Roseanne learned from her students.Essay originally published 08/2020. Audio narration just released.Subscribe to receive new essays by email!

Many faithful believers rejected the sword and positions of earthly rule because they were convinced from the Scriptures that these were not part of God’s design, whether in the Garden of Eden or in the establishment of Christ’s church. If we choose to depart from God’s ways, we become like killdeer birds suddenly deciding to nest in the trees. It seems, then, that we have two traditions to choose from: the true, original design God created, or pervasive, normalized evil.  

A business person should steward his business abilities and roles. Stewardship is not limited to managing profits that may be gained through business. Marlin Sommers reflects on job creation, business investment in general, and concludes with a few words about the steward mindset in business.Essay originally published 04/2020. Audio narration just released.Subscribe to receive new essays by email!

We want the entire world to understand who Jesus is. But what are we to be doing and how is this message supposed to spread? Is serving the poor part of Jesus’ commission to the church? Or is humanitarian aid a second-class ministry or, even worse, a distraction from our real mission? Gary Miller reminds us that God wants people to flourish, both physically and spiritually, and that this should be our desire as well. Like Jesus, we are representatives of the character of God. Like Jesus, we should be known for doing good. 

What does it mean to be a steward of business giftings and abilities, and of business roles and opportunities?  Marlin Sommers explores some biblical points, focusing on business applications, and encouraging business people to recognize themselves as servant-managers of both a set of giftings and abilities and of certain roles and opportunities. Essay originally published 04/2020. Audio narration just released.Subscribe to receive new essays by email!

“Our own attentive openness to the world around us and the generations before us is what prepares us to educate. If we are not attentive, humble, and learning, we are left either neglecting education or simply trying to pass on what we think we know.” 

Did you ever consider that not everyone grew up like you did? How would your life be different if God had placed you in a different home? Essay originally published 03/2020. Audio narration just released.Subscribe to receive new essays by email!

In his essay "Schism is Heresy", Frank Reed exhorts the church of Jesus Christ to be unified as a body, not falling prey to the many divisions of the world. In clear and simple language, he shares principle truths from Scripture regarding how the body of believers should view unity. "Principles transcend policies. If we are led by the same Spirit, we will walk the path together. If we allow personal preferences to divide us, we are not part of the body of Christ. "