Neighborhood
Church of the Brethren
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Neighborhood Church of the Brethren |
We try to live like Jesus would want us to...You might wonder, what is the “Church of the Brethren”? We get our name from the Bible. In the New Testament, the word "brethren" is used 190 times, while the word “Christian” is only used 3 times to describe believers! “Brethren” describes the kinship of men and women who choose another way of living: the way of Jesus. The Church of the Brethren is a community of people who want to continue impacting people’s lives with the love of Christ! We believe that when Jesus showed us another way of living. He intended it to be a part of every aspect of our lives. We try to live as Jesus did, serving those around us as faithful disciples of Christ. Come experience a new day and a new way of living with us. Following Jesus - peacefully, simply, together! Brethren belief The central emphasis of the Church of the Brethren is not a creed,
but a commitment to follow Christ in simple obedience, to be faithful
disciples in the modern world. As do most other Christians, the Brethren
believe in God as Creator and loving Sustainer. We confess the Lordship
of Christ, and we seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every aspect
of life, thought, and mission. We hold the New Testament as our guidebook for living, affirming with
it the need for lifelong and faithful study of the Scriptures. Brethren
believe that God has revealed an unfolding purpose for the human family
and the universe through the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament), and
fully in the New Testament. We hold the New Testament as the record of
the life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
and of the beginnings of the life and thought of the Christian church. Faithful following of Jesus Christ and obedience to the will of God
as revealed in the Scriptures have led us to emphasize principles that
we believe are central in true discipleship. Among these are peace and
reconciliation, simple living, integrity of speech, family values, and
service to neighbors near and far. How do we live out our faith?
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ, then, affects everything that we
say and do. Obedience—meaning obedience of Jesus—has been a key word
among Brethren. What we do in the world is just as important as what we
do in the church. Christ’s style of self-giving love is the example we
are called to follow in all our relationships. That belief shows itself in the giving nature of Brethren. We respond
quickly to need. We send money and volunteers to disaster sites. We
support soup kitchens, day-care centers, and homeless shelters in our
communities. Thousands of people have served around the world through
Brethren Volunteer Service. People often know the Brethren through our
ministries of compassion. We believe following Christ means following his example of serving
others, healing the broken, and bringing new life and hope to the
despairing. We take seriously Jesus’ call to love all people, including
the “enemy.” In fact, the Church of the Brethren is known as one of the Historic
Peace Churches. Brethren have considered participation in war to be
unacceptable for Christians and have based this understanding on the
teachings of Jesus and on other New Testament texts. In our concern for the well-being of neighbors near and far, Brethren
have begun creative programs to enable the world’s poor to walk toward a
better life. Heifer Project International (providing livestock for poor
families) and SERRV International (supporting craft producers in
developing countries), for example, were both begun by Brethren before
they grew into ecumenical ministries. “For the glory of God and my neighbors’ good” was a motto of an early
Brethren leader, whose own successful printing operation was destroyed
due to his opposition to the Revolutionary War. This two-part phrase,
turning us both toward God in devotion and toward our neighbors in
service, remains an appropriate summary of the church’s understanding of
the nature of Christian faith. Brethren practices Brethren have a long tradition of “gathering around the Word.” Taking
the New Testament as our guide, we discuss what Jesus did—and why. Then
we try to pattern our own lives after his. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name,” Jesus
promised, “there am I in the midst of them.” Through the practices
described here, Brethren come together—as small groups or larger ones—in
loving imitation of Jesus’ actions. At these times, we’re especially
aware of God’s presence. We call these practices our ordinances, because
we think of them as instructions from God. Baptism Before making any serious commitment—to marry, to accept a
responsible office, to practice healthier living—a person considers the
meaning and consequences of that choice. Often, he or she undergoes a
public ceremony to acknowledge the momentous personal decision. For
Brethren, the ordinance of “believers’ baptism” marks just such a
deliberate, thoughtful commitment. Choosing to follow the example of Jesus begins with repenting, or
humbly re-examining one’s relationship with God. Jesus himself showed us
the way: He asked to be baptized by John, and he instructed his
disciples to baptize others who wanted to be symbolically “reborn”
through God’s grace, into a new life of mature belief and service. Three hundred years ago, the first Brethren chose adult baptism as
their ceremonial response to God’s saving act—the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, in the presence of the
congregation, a newly committed person kneels in the water of the
baptistry, publicly acknowledges his or her decision, and is immersed
three times forward, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.” Through this symbolic cleansing and rebirth, the person becomes a
full member of the Brethren congregation and of the larger body of
Christ. The decision to be baptized indicates a willingness to take on
both the joy and the responsibility of living Jesus’ teachings. Love feast & communion In an act of great love, Jesus gave his life for ours. The Brethren,
as Jesus’ followers, love God and each other—and take that love into the
world. Once or twice a year, Brethren celebrate what the earliest
Christians called agape: the outflowing love that seeks not to receive
but to give. Jesus taught us this practice, sharing with his disciples a last,
loving meal the night before he died. He washed the disciples’ feet, ate
supper with them, sought to draw them closer into the fold of his love,
and offered them the symbolic bread and cup. During love feast, we repeat these simple, meaningful acts. After
reconciling any discord among ourselves, we lovingly wash each other’s
feet, then enjoy a meal together. Quietly we share communion, the bread
and the cup that remind us of Jesus’ great gift; we renew our commitment
to follow his example of sacrificial love. Congregations may also
observe the Eucharist, or bread-and-cup communion, at other times and in
other settings. Love feast closes with a hymn; then follows the humble task of
cleaning up, in which all are invited to participate. When we leave the
feast, reunited in our dedication to Christ and to each other, the deep,
nourishing love goes with us. Jesus knew that this evening, this meal, was the last time he and his
twelve disciples would gather as a group. He wanted his followers to
remember, in the difficult days ahead, why he had come and what he had
taught them. When the disciples began to argue about which of them was
more important, Jesus decided to make his lesson plain: Taking a towel
and a basin of water, this great teacher knelt beside the first
disciple—and did not stop until, like a lowly servant, he had washed the
feet of each one there. By including the service of feetwashing in our love feast, Brethren
imitate Jesus’ actions and honor his lessons. No person ought to be
greater than another, Jesus taught. Love has no need to prove status or
position; love simply gives—and keeps on giving. A symbolic, cleansing act, feetwashing prepares us for the meal and
communion that follow. It reminds us that in God’s sight, everyone needs
loving attention, and everyone can offer that service to others. First
we humbly accept attention and care from the one who washes our feet.
Then we in turn wash someone else’s feet. After each act of feetwashing,
the two people embrace and share a simple phrase of blessing. In receiving this emblem of God’s cleansing grace, we remember that
as followers of Jesus, we can help distribute God’s blessing to
others—through steady, loving service, symbolically washing the feet of
the world. At some time, almost every person—even the most devout—may become
anxious, despairing, or ill. Following instructions given in the New
Testament, the Brethren practice an ordinance called anointing: the
prayerful, loving application of oil to the forehead of someone in
physical or spiritual need. Most of the time, members take initiative to request anointing for
themselves or for members of their family. Recently more and more people
have discovered anointing as a powerful symbol for the full range of
renewal and healing. People ask for anointing before surgery or during
serious illness, and they also request it in times of grief, emotional
turmoil, or brokenness in relationships. The anointing service is usually conducted in a home or small-group
setting, although some congregations use it in public worship. A time is
provided for confession. Then the minister or other representative of
the church applies oil three times to the forehead, symbolizing
forgiveness of sin, strengthening of faith, and healing of body, mind,
and spirit. Finally the minister lays hands on the one to be anointed, sometimes
inviting others present to do the same, and prays specifically for the
person’s expressed concern. The laying on of hands is a reminder that
the whole congregation, whether present or not, joins in prayer and
support
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