Inspired by recent events in my life and comments which have been posted upon this blog, I, the HBB, have once again taken up my proverbial quill, in the attempt to aid the Beachy Complex community in understanding some fundamental truths.

In my previous writings, I have pointed out some flaws in Beachyism by means of satire, which some have taken to be insults at the Gospel itself, which thing they were not.

I have been kindly asked to clarify what, if anything, should be changed about the Beachys.  Rather than privately answering this request, I felt it could be helpful to discuss it in this open forum. It is to be understood that entering into any such discussion has the very real potential of generating controversy.  But as I have amply demonstrated, I do not fear controversy, perhaps I enjoy it too much. Therefore, in this post I shall attempt to set forth several principles, which I feel should guide change and reform in the Beachy church at large.

Principle #1- Inward change must precede outward change.

I have heard many discussions regarding changing the church, and it seems to me that almost all of them revolve around some form outward change.

“Let’s change the hairstyles, let’s change the dress styles, let’s allow some new forms of techology and entertainment, let’s do our best to take down the fences that keep the world out.”

In some more radical reforms, such as the Charity movement, even the ecclesiastical structure itself is changed. But all of these changes, whether they are beneficial or not, are outward changes. And while outward change will eventually take place with true reform, it is the end but not the means to the end.  The means to that end is inward, internal, invisible change, which will lead to visible, external, outward change.

This is the principle upon which we trip. The reason that we trip that it is impossible to effect inward change from without. It simply does not happen. And what is more, it is impossible to enforce inward change. Therefore, you cannot start a program at your local church after which you will have internally changed everyone into what they should be.

Lest you doubt that inward change precedes and leads to outward change, read Romans 12:2. I have heard many people major on verse 2, part 1, which states, ”And be not conformed to this world…” But simple nonconformity is not the end of the issue, it is hardly the beginning. Look at the rest of the verse, “…but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

It is to be understood then, that a renewed mind will lead to a renewed life, and a renewed life is not one which will be conformed to the world either in philosophy, or in lifestyle.

The question then remains-Where does the renewed mind that leads to the internal change that leads to the outward change that leads to the renewed life come from?

That is a good question.

It leads us to Principle #2-

Inward change is brought about by having our minds conformed to the mind of Christ.

This means that we examine Jesus Christ and His philosophy of life, and the things that He believed and taught and practiced and we embrace them and make them our own.

That means that we love what He loves and hate what He hates, we smile when He smiles and weep when He weeps. We embrace what He accepts, and shun what He rejects.

We make a willful choice to have our hearts conformed to Christ. In doing so, we “present our bodies a living sacrifice” ready to be as Christ, regardless of personal cost.

It is useless to have this discussion without getting specific.

The reason that I have heard most cited as a need to lower our standards is that they have become a barrier to the world.

This I deny.

My friends, we have become a barrier to the world.

Our walls against the world are not walls of dress and practice. They are walls of culture. A man and his wife can enter our churches from “the world” and start wearing cape dresses and coverings and straight cut suits and stop watching TV and going to fairs and festivals and wearing shekich shirts and carpenter pants, but they will still not fit in.

Why?

Because we don’t want them to.

We don’t want them to because they don’t can or garden, or make their own dresses, or work in construction or farm.

We don’t want them to because they have a different frame of reference than we do.

We don’t want them to because they aren’t related to someone we know.

We don’t want them to because their last name isn’t Miller or Yoder or Lapp or Coblentz or Raber or Hochstetler or Eicher or whatever other name is widely accepted in your area.

We don’t want them because they rock the boat.

For whatever reason, we just don’t want them.

If the key to church growth was simply letting down on standards for membership, the Baptist, Lutheran, Prebyterian and Catholic churches which have no standards at all would have everyone attending them.

But they don’t.

The world cries and longs for what only those with the mind of Christ can give. The world is looking for people who give a hoot about their lives. And they are precious few.

Why?

Because in order to care, you must feel the world’s pain, and in order to feel the world’s pain, you must hurt. Caring hurts, and we don’t care enough to hurt.  So we shrug off the pain of the world, and leave it bleeding and dying in the ghettos of sin while we deceive ourselves into thinking that we would reach them if only we were a little less righteous.

We would reach them if we were a little less self-righteous.

Perhaps this blog post hasn’t been very coherent. For that I apologize.

Perhaps this blog post has come across very strong. For that I don’t care.

It’s been a long post, so I’ll bring it to a close, even though I haven’t exhausted this subject.

But if you want more, I’ll give it to you.

Regards,

HBB