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

based on actual historical events, as God worked through a chosen people, then decisively broke into histo- ry to redeem mankind through Christ. Today, as God's instruments in the present, we can place ourselves in this long procession and look ahead to the culmination of his- tory in the Lord's coming again/ To understand the Mennonite Brethren theological and spiritual pilgrimage requires a grasp of its historical back- ground.5 Mennonite Brethren belong to a dynamic Anabaptist movement that emphasized the Bible as the Word of God for faith and life, the experiential reality of a New Testament con- version, the church as an interdependent fellowship, a life of rigorous discipleship, and the church as a witnessing commu- nity in evangelism and mission. Our forebears demonstrated their faith by translating biblical teachings into life and rela- tionships, not by apologetics or creedal dogmatism. Being "born again" meant there was a recognizable difference be- tween the "old" and the "new," A holy lifestyle of self-denial 2 A PHENOMENON OF RENEWAL and a sacrificial ministry for others were hallmarks of disciple- ship, for Jesus had said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mt. I6:24X To understand the increasing contrast between past and present* we must be open to seeing ourselves in the context of history. We cannot idealize our past. Rather, we must note how God, in spite of our many weaknesses and failures, was long-suffering and merciful to make us a dynamic missionary conference whose influence has circled the globe, A careful study of our history helps us understand the phenomenon of repeated revivals, many conversions and church growth, as well as times of inward emptiness^ legalism and apostasy. Only as we examine our pilgrimage can we ac- count for these ups and downs in spiritual vitality. To Idealize our past without an increasing concern for the present is idolatry. Israel was guilty of this sin. People may seek escape from the responsibilities of the present by brood- ing over the past; but the opposite-degrading our history-is also a sin. We need to know and face our past to understand our present and clarify our mission for the future. THE PHENOMENON OF RENEWAL Human history is a story of change, a rhythmic cycle of ascent and decline that ebbs and flows almost like the sea- sons. Civilizations rise to a level of glory only to decline, fade into antiquity and are replaced by an emerging new era of progress and expansion. Each epoch has its specific streng