Albuquerque Mennonite Church

The Anabaptist movement came about in protest to groups like Lutherans and others during the reform movement. Reformist churches required citizens to bring their children to the church for baptism. Anabaptists rejected infant baptism, believed in baptism of adults as a renewal of faith, and fought for early separation of church and state and PEACE.   

This movement led to Amish, Mennonites, Brethren and Hutterites. There are a few Mennonite and Brethren Churches in New Mexico. Amish colonies are spread out in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Hutterite communities are only in Northern U.S. States and Canada. Each group has become distinctly different in their beliefs and lifestyles, but most of them share the belief of not participating in litigation, holding government positions, or taking up arms in defense. 

A group of Anabaptists split from the Joseph Amman followers (Amish). In the mid 1500's, this group came to be led by a former Catholic Priest named, Menno Simons, and his followers eventually were called Mennonites. 

There are different orders of Mennonite churches - Old Order, Conservative, and Progressive. Most churches in the Western part of the United States are progressive. They are similar to Quakers in their goals of peace and justice. 

I attended the 9:30 worship service at the Albuquerque Mennonite Church. Worship is open to newcomers. Their belief statement:

          We of Albuquerque Mennonite Church are committed to Jesus’ call to be a
          growing community that embodies God’s love in the world, a community that 
          cherishes and practices worship, healing, hospitality, peacemaking, and respect
          for all. Open and affirming, we hold that every person is created in God’s 
          image, valued without regard to origin, sexual identity, affiliation, or status.

Every year, they ask their members to Re-Covenant to the church. 

Their worship team includes Pastor Anita Amstutz and Associate Pastor Andrew Clouse. Assoc. Pastor Clouse led the worship service. Visitors were introduced and then everyone greeted each other and were very welcoming to me. They were a very participatory congregation, vibrant and full of love.  

Pastor Amstutz gave the message (sermon) based on the story of Balaam and his Donkey from Numbers (22:21-35). 

While enroute to Moab, God blocks Balaam's path with an Angel because his path was "reckless." The Angel however was only visible to the Donkey. When the donkey would not continue on the path, Balaam beat him multiple times until the Angel finially shows himself to Balaam. 

It was a story that helps us look anew at life for unexpected mysteries. Pastor Amstutz spoke of how God comes to us in unexpected ways and unexpected places, so be open to it. Assoc. Pastor Clouse talked about how the story helps us to, "See with new eyes and to trust the God that we cannot see." 

        I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may

        know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious

        inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who

        believe. Ephesians 1:18-19

Their Worship Service included much joyous group song, as MUSIC is very important in the Mennonite faith. They feel it is their, "most profound connection with God." (Kropf) My favorite hymn was: 

Day by day, dear Lord, of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day. HWB 569

THANK YOU Albuquerque Mennonite Church for sharing with me your love of God and manner of worship. 

Sitting with the Quakers

The Religious Society of Friends, otherwise known as Quakers, are a Protestant Christian Denomination that grew from the Enlightenment era in England and today has it's largest population of followers in Africa. 

They are historically significant in the U.S. for their large part in the Abolitionist Movement. From 1755 to 1776, the Quaker Society became the first organization in history to ban slaveholding and openly promoted emancipation.

Quakers profess a dual commitment to spiritual awareness and social activism. They believe that the, "responsibility for ministry rests on each of us in the community," therefore the services are facilitated by congregants and all church business is conducted through committees. 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

                                                              ~ 1 Peter 2:9

Although there are many Quakers in the eastern part of the United States, I found out there is only one Quaker Church in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Friends Meeting is every Sunday at 10:30 am.

They instruct people to arrive promptly and to gather in silence. They state, "the object of our style of worship is not silence, but the quiet waiting for an opening to the divine within ourselves. As we settle into worship, the quiet becomes vital and alive. Vocal messages come out of this animated stillness to enrich the group worship." 

I arrived early and people were congregating, catching up with each. I noticed a large library available for individual use. There were announcement boards for the ministerial and various committees.  

A "friend" greeted me, seeing that I was new and offered me this pamphlet explaining the Worship Meeting. In the meeting hall, all the chairs were arranged in a circle. Friends filtered in throughout the service and filled in the circle. No one spoke we just sat with God. 

The room soon transformed into a powerful sanctuary, a place to leave all of the chaos and the weight of the World at the doorstep.

It is difficult, in this World filled with constant visual and mind stimulation, to sit quietly and calm the whirlwind of thoughts. 

Often even in prayer and meditation, we talk to ourselves internally; but if we never learn to listen how will we ever know what God is trying to say to us. 

Every little movement or noise seemed like a ripple in the serenity that was settling in, but It came to me that part of the practice was to not allow those little noises to become distractions or irritants, just let them wash over you. 

This is what came to me during my silence: 

In a world swimming in chaos, we [the believers] are the anchor that ties this World to God. 

After some time a few of the congregants, stood and said some things that surfaced or were imprinted on their heart during their sit with God. A scribe wrote down the words the people shared. After about an hour, the children and Sunday school teachers came into the meeting hall. We sat in silence with the children for a few minutes as well. 

We all joined hands to conclude the time of worship, they went around the circle and every person introduced themselves to the group, announcements were made, and then fellowship in the hall. 

✝♥✝ They were very lovely people ~ It was really quite an extraordinary experience ✝♥✝

Taking time to be one with God is difficult in this fast paced world, but it is something that we all should aspire to make more time to do. 

Thank You Albuquerque Friends for sharing with me how you sit with God.