High Prairie Mennonite Church

Rick Tozer

Yesterday I went to an Old Mennonite church out in the middle of nowhere. Let me set the scene. The pews were packed. Men and children sat on the right side and took care of most of the children. Woman and some children sat on the left side. All the men wore white shirts and black suits, some of the jackets had no collar. All the women had head coverings. The music (no instruments) was amazing. One can not imagine the excellent behavior of the children, and how orderly they were dismissed to their classrooms. In the adult Sunday School class (right in the pews), only the men spoke. When the call for prayer came, all turned around and knelt on the floor. The service lasted a solid two hours, and I enjoyed the farm-life illustrations. One would think that as these Mennonites standing almost alone against culture that they might demonstrate a sense of pride. However, the sermon and shorter meditation were about how we set our standards. If we compare ourselves with others, then we miss the mark. The standard is God's word. It is God who we should try to please. It is God's righteousness that is given to us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Any self-righteousness fails to meet the standard. Not really a bad message for any follower of the Risen One to take to heart.

Ryan Newswanger

Great atmosphere.