July 13, 2009 issue
Spirit’s power and peace
By Paul Schrag Mennonite Weekly ReviewCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Being filled with the Holy Spirit took the form of a metaphor: opening the sails of a ship.
SCRIPTURE DANCE — Talashia Keim Yoder of Goshen, Ind., dances during a reading of Scripture. — Photo by Paul Schrag/MWR
Another time, a literal action symbolized it: taking a deep breath. Either way, speakers at adult worship services June 30-July 4 called Mennonite Church USA conventiongoers to let the Holy Spirit fill them with power and peace.
“As a friend of the family, let me give you some advice,” said Jim Wallis, CEO of Sojourners in Washington and editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine, on Saturday. “Take a deep breath.”
When dealing with controversy — as delegates did earlier in the day with a sexuality resolution — pausing for breath is always a good idea, Wallis said.
For Christians, he suggested, there is deeper meaning in that act: being filled with the Spirit.
Saying that it was good to worship with Mennonites on the Fourth of July, Wallis urged his listeners to hold fast to their church’s tradition of placing their loyalty with God’s global kingdom.
“Mennonites, more than most churches, have understood the difference between a healthy patriotism and nationalism,” he said.
“I love this land’s best ideals. But you know that nationalism does not go well with the kingdom of God.”
Wallis said young people today are hungry for a faith — like the Mennonites’ — that uses the Sermon on the Mount as a guide.
“A new generation is coming of age, and they are less concerned about what you have to believe to be a Christians than what you have to do because you are a Christian,” he said. “I think it’s time for some of them to discover your tradition.”
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