Perilous Journey: The Mennonite Brethren in Russia 1860-1910, John B. Toews, 1988

ttle need for the awe-inspiring or the mystical and the mysterious in worship. For David Epp and his co-religionists the Gospel had to be actualized in daily life. The task was unending yet indispensible, for faith and practice were one. There was a temptation to be pragmatic: to participate faithfully in simple liturgy of Sunday services; to join in the occasional celebration of the Lord's Supper; to listen to the annual reading of the articles of faith and witness the annual baptismal rite. There was no need to pursue private religious ecstacy since special experiences were not the ultimate measure of spirituality. One only came to God with one's brother and sister. Through a common commitment to love, co-operation and orderly living the congregation tried to mirror a bit of God's Kingdom. Every life situation, personal or collective, which limited the church's ability to reflect the fullness of the Kingdom had to be addressed — sometimes gently, sometimes vigorously. This did not mean that Epp's parishioners, by their spiritual perfection, desired to create a Utopia or that they believed in salvation by works. The church was a human institution with human limitations. Some violated the norms of the Kingdom by lapses in faith and morality. Disputes and divisions were inevitable. The community, as an act of love directed its ailing member to the correct pathway. For Epp the Lehrdienst and Bruderschaft were useful agencies for this task. 8 Epp's assessment of Mennonite piety may have been too one-sided. Like any court of law the members of the Lehrdienst began to view the community in terms of the transgressors which appeared before it. Confronted only by sinners Epp perchance lost sight of the many saints committed to a life of discipleship. However grave their offences the accused represented a very small segment of the community. Yet from Epp's personal standpoint the struggle for goodness seemed unending. There were moments of pain and despair as the list of offenders appearing before the Lehrdienst steadily increased. Was the intent of the Gospel, Epp wondered, really understood by the community? "How the light of the Gospel has been obscured in so many folk," he lamented in 1837. "When will the dawn of true enlightenment begin to break among us." 53 Early in 1838 he felt even more distressed. "Godlessness increases because love grows cold." 54 "When will the dissolute, wild life in the community end? When will the night of sin vanish?" 56 By 1841 he was even more pessimistic. "Immoral conduct steadily intensifies. Fornication, licentious behavior and dancing at weddings and annual fairs is the order of the day... There is no thought of repentence and conversion." 57 Epp's pessimism continues in one of the last entries of the surviving diary. "Spiritually the community is in a drowsy state: drunkenness, adultery and fornication are prevalent as are lies and gossip." 58 Unknown to E