THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

e Red Sea (Ex. 15:1-21); or at the occasion when David returned from one of the battles with the Philistines (I Sam. 18:5-7); or when he led the procession of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem (II Sam. 6:12-19)? To this question one might answer thus: all believers have the right to be joyful and are in fact frequently encouraged to be joyful. However, to express such joy in particular outward forms and to make a regular 444 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH practice of this during worship services is another matter for believers in the New Covenant. Why so? Jesus and his disciples give us the answer to this question in their example in word and deed. We do in fact read of the exceeding joy of the disciples when they returned after having been sent out to the towns: ‘Lord, even the devils could not withstand us.’ Or of Christ, who rejoiced in spirit and said, ‘I thank thee, Father, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes’ (Luke 10:21). However, on all these occasions nothing is written regarding the expression of godly joy in the movement of one’s members, or dancing in the round, etc. The examples of believers of the body of Christ, with Christ him self the head, concerning which the New Testament gives considerable information, will remain for us the sole standard for our particular life style, and to the extent we have the same spirit, will be normative for us in establishing the patterns of life that will guide us in gaining a right church order as well as the right order in our private life. . . . The Apostle Paul says ‘All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient .... Do not become a stumbling block, neither to the Jew, nor to the Greek, nor toward the Church of God.’” §192 12. “The Brothers and Sisters (at the Kuban] were very pleased with the outcome of the matter in the Molotschna District . . .” Claassen relates briefly in his letter of April 19, 1866, written from Tiflis to the churches at the Kuban. §193 13. Reconciliation in the Molotschna— Jakob Reimer’s diary. "... On July 2, [1865], Johann Loewen and I [cf. ‘Kronsweide’] journeyed ... to the Molotschna, because our brethren from here, as well as I, were invited to Ladekopp [in the Molotschna] where a general reconciliation was to take place with those who had been ex- communicated and those who had left voluntarily [cf. #8]. It was July 4, 1865. On Saturday, July 3, we were in Tokmak at the [Christian] Schmidts from where I went with Sister Huebert 223 to visit her husband in prison .... Brother Claassen was also at Schmidts; I therefore became reconciled to him first .... Those of us who were scattered [the excommunicated ones as well as those who had left voluntarily or had drawn back] . . . met first [in Ladekopp] at tailor Klassen’s; from there we all proceeded to Jakob Wiebes (July 4), where the brethren and sisters were gathered. Since Claassen had to rem