The second highlight I experienced at MCUSA's Convention in Phoenix this year was being asked by Dustin Galyon of Hesston College to co-lead a workshop. It was entitled, "So Dude, You're a Mennonite". Neither Dustin nor I are from a Mennonite background yet we serve and worship in this context. We each shared our stories as to how we arrived here. The room was packed - mostly because Dustin has given this talk before and he is an energetic and passionate speaker. The youth love him!
We challenged the attendees not to get so caught up in the "Mennonite thing" (which can create obstacles and hurdles for people), but instead focus on what it means to follow Jesus and live as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. I challenged the group to elevate the conversation above denominations (because that tends to separate us and can lead to pride) - and to instead, focus on what we have in common; being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I referenced Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11 which state that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, there is neither Mennonite or non-Mennonite" (OK, so I embellished the words of Paul a bit), "for you are all one in Christ Jesus". You don't have to be "Mennonite" to be a Christian (which means "little Christ"). We are called to imitate Christ.
You can listen to the entire workshop by clicking here
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