One of the on-going concerns one hears from churches is a phenomenon called drift. Do denominations and institutions inevitably become more tolerant and relaxed, such that they become indistinguishable from the surrounding culture? This impulse—not without its virtues—is especially strong among pastors and denominational leaders because our evangelical mission is to include more in our fellowship. Our Vision: Healing & Hope statement is an example of such inclusiveness. As publishers, our main focus is on what unites us, rather than what divides us.

The topic is especially focused as congregations and conferences discuss the meaning of church membership; the picture is not one of inevitability but of selective choice. For example, after several decades of discussion on abortion, we are stricter in being pro-life than we were two decades ago. After discerning abusive pastoral behavior and adultery, we are stricter than we were a decade ago. On marriage, this summer we are publishing a book called Freedom Fences, a post-liberal apologetic for commitment as freedom. The True Love Waits campaign has highlighted virginity as a biblical norm.

On peace, nonresistance, and justice, our practice seems strong if one is to view the support of mission, service, and mediation agencies. This is not to mention the innumerable programs at the local level. Our confessions and teaching on pacifism remain vital. Although a few congregations and leaders have relaxed Christian teaching on homosexual practice, there is little evidence that their decision is attracting a following in most conferences and congregations. If anything, there is some evidence that at the local level there may be greater explicit strictness on this subject than several decades ago.

Much of church life lies in choices that pastors, congregations, and conferences make in our norms of love—even in publishing. One can see some of the current strictness as a corrective to the destructive antinomian movement that affected our churches during the cultural revolutions of the 1960s. A century ago our church leaders called for greater unity as a movement toward greater rigor in Christian behavior and belief. At mid-century, leaders called our congregations to Christian unity under what came to be called the Anabaptist vision. Our experience is not one-directional or primarily defined by drift but by choices. This belief is foundational to believers churches, and we have shown ourselves capable of exercising this Christian option. May God give us the courage and wisdom to do this in a charitable way.

Levi Miller

On the Pilgrims’ Way

On foot, J. Nelson Kraybill enters Canterbury just in time for a Pentecost service at that city’s great cathedral. He has spent 10 days On the Pilgrims’ Way, praying and conversing with fellow pilgrims for 140 miles.

Each morning Kraybill meets walking partners at a train station along the Pilgrims’ Way. After reading a psalm and praying at a local church, they hike eastward, talking about topics of Christian discipleship from the Gospel of Luke: conversion, prayer, celebration, community, money, doubt, risk taking, peacemaking, and much more.

With notebook and camera, Kraybill records a wealth of insight from fellow pilgrims: Mennonites, Baptists, Anglicans, Catholics, and others. More than a travelogue, this is a provocative handbook on issues every disciples of Jesus needs to consider. Each chapter ends with a prayer and questions for reflection.

"Nelson Kraybill has a way with words, matching the elegant simplicity of the Pilgrims’ Way. I relished every word and often thought of biblical journeys, of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, of the film Babette’s Feast, and of Martyrs Mirror. This book goes on my shelf with those classic tales of longing for God."—Shirley Hershey Showalter, President, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana.

Paper; 240 pages; $15.99 (U.S.); $23.79 (Canada).

The Journey Toward Reconciliation

"From the outset, The Journey Toward Reconciliation by John Paul Lederach is punctuated by stories. From the first story in the book—which recounts the threats to kidnap his daughter because of his mediation work in Central America—to the last—which tells of Liberian peacemaker Samuel Doe who dreams of reconciliation for his country—the book lives and breathes the air of sincerity, struggle, and wisdom born of personal experience."—Christian Living

"John Paul Lederach’s vivid personal stories of peacemaking illustrate his deep insights into the preeminent challenge of our times: learning how to live together in the midst of deep differences. I highly recommend this book."—William L. Ury, Coauthor, Getting to Yes

May 1999 Builder: The Hapless Nicodemus

In the teacher resource and background article of this issue, Daniel Hertzler notes the irony in the Gospel of John. These excerpts from his comments may entice you to read the whole article:

"With irony we say one thing and mean another. Or perhaps we lay out a contrast in a manner by which we hope the receiver will recognize with us the ‘irony’ that is the discomfort of the situation.

"Paul D. Duke has written a book Irony in the Fourth Gospel (John Knox, 1985) which I am using as a basic resource for this article. . . . Duke observes that "irony rewards the followers with a sense of community. . . . Irony has a way of slipping its readers gently into new insight or strengthened convictions. . . . The most biting irony, of course, is reserved for persons who oppose Jesus. Typically they are presented as alazon, those who seek to present themselves as more than they really are. Duke says, "Unwitting speeches utter testimony that is false when, they think it is true, but true in ways they had not imagined. . . . The Christ is in fact from none of these places so much as he is from above" (p. 67).

Stewardship Sunday, May 2, is reflected in the "Last Words," the advice of a father who encouraged his daughter to use her gifts for the Lord; and in "A Sprinkling of Love," where the expression of love changes an ordinary activity into something very special.

Mother’s Day in emphasized in the May 9 stories: "Making Mom Feel Wanted," "My Daughter Comes," and "Biblical Mothers." One’s positive attitude while serving others makes a big difference to everybody involved. Read "Serving From the Heart."