A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

asy feeling persists that the church has been domesticated and become too comfortable.5 Its distinct character of faith, virtue and commitment to absolutes has van- ished as it sought to gain appmval from the world. In the context of this tension comes the call to the Mennonite Brethren fellowship for a renewal of commitment. The church cannot remain locked in a cultural cocoon. It must become adept at responding to change * But a balance 300 A CALL TO COMMITMENT must be struck between past and contemporary relevance, a dynamic combination of both continuity and change.7 We have a Christian heritage that should shape and mold our fu- ture. The biblical model is to look backward and recount the acts of God, so we can look forward with confidence, Forms, functions and expressions may change, but divine principles governing the redemption and character of the people of God cannot change. The apostolic message remains the criterion for New Testament faith: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." The result is a community of the redeemed who continue "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:38, 42). Commitment to Biblical Conversion As repeatedly emphasized, conversion is central in the theological understanding of Mennonite Brethren. Confes- sionally we have not changed. Officially we still hold a high view of the need for conversion that expresses itself in new life. But like many evangelicals, some Mennonite Brethren, in the struggle to accommodate modernity, have softened and polished the more demanding aspects of the gospel.6 Another form of softening is an obsession with rational proofs and simplistic formulas. Edward Dayton notes that when evangelicals seek to prove that the Bible is scientifically correct, they are using science to judge the Bible and in so doing "place scientific understanding above the message of the revealed word." He calls this a pragmatic simplification of truth to make it more easily understood and accepted.1' For- mulas can simplify and promise final solutions but they do not completely represent reality. They provide simple, pain- less steps to the benefits of redemption, without spelling out the implications. When a nationally known evangelist held meetings in the facilities of a Mennonite Brethren church, he made no ref- 301 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH erence to a specific message from Scripture* He merely told stories of how Jesus had provided deliverance from drugs, al- cohol, immora