2012 Mennonite Heritage Sunday: A Memorial of Truth

Heritage Sunday is a time for Mennonite and Anabaptist churches to celebrate their theological distinctives. We can reflect on the spiritual journey that has produced a broad range of communities within the Anabaptist community. It is a time for us to look back and remember the courage and convictions of our spiritual ancestors. While their society was fundamentally different from ours, we can learn from the struggles they faced, what motivated them, and their testimony to the people that survived them. Many of those martyr stories have been assembled by early Dutch Anabaptists, and handed down to us today in a book called The Martyr’s Mirror.

Although many Anabaptist Christians now live in safety and prosperity in many parts of the world, we still hear stories of contemporary martyrs and other persecuted Christians. Some countries are hostile toward the Christian faith, so local Christians and foreign missionaries face persecution for the way they carry out the gospel. Some governments endorse only one expression of the Christian church, and so leaders of other churches face suspicion and hostility. In other countries, a holistic gospel of peace, justice and equality as integral parts of the salvation message interferes with military and corporate interests. So, as we remember medieval martyrs, we also reflect on those whose witness can still threaten their lives. We don’t do this to demonize any particular enemy, past or present, but to encourage each other, no matter what hardships we face.

Includes an original song by Will Loewen and Ana Loewen.